In every single place James Harden tried to go, there was Christian Braun in his manner. For that, thank the non-public scouting report supplied up from Harden’s former teammate and Denver Nuggets sixth man Russell Westbrook. He handed alongside loads of helpful tricks to Braun about guarding the Los Angeles Clippers‘ star.
Intently coated by Braun all evening, Harden was simply 2-of-8 from the ground and scored seven factors within the Clippers’ season-ending 120-101 loss to the Nuggets on Saturday in Sport 7 of their first-round playoff sequence.
Harden has misplaced a Sport 7 with 4 completely different groups: the Houston Rockets (2018), Brooklyn Nets (2021), Philadelphia 76ers (2023) and now the Clippers. In these 4 losses, Harden has averaged 17.5 factors per recreation whereas taking pictures 33.8% (22-of-65) from the ground.
His groups have gone 3-4 in Sport 7s all through his profession.
This 12 months’s matchup with the Nuggets was a sporadic taking pictures sequence for Harden throughout as he shot 43.6%. After going off for 32 factors in Sport 1, he averaged simply 16.5 factors per recreation the remainder of the sequence.
“James is a troublesome cowl,” mentioned Westbrook, who was teammates with Harden final season. “Christian did a great job making an attempt to make the sport troublesome on him. I assumed he did a superb job and he has been doing that each one 12 months.”
Braun deflected the credit score. He mentioned he was capable of play tighter protection on Harden due to gamers comparable to Aaron Gordon behind him. They have been there ready, simply in case Harden broke away.
“I couldn’t choose him up and stress him all recreation if I didn’t have the fellows behind me that have been flying round,” Braun mentioned.
Braun listened intently to the phrases of knowledge from Westbrook.
“He’s performed towards James. He’s performed with James, so he sort of is aware of his recreation,” Braun mentioned. “He was telling me what appears to present him, when to present him this look, when to do that, when to drive him proper, when he goes proper that is what he’s doing. I realized that over the course of this sequence. I acquired higher and higher as we went and the fellows and the coaches trusted me tonight. We didn’t need to swap, they stored me on him all evening.”
Braun was simply as massive on the offensive finish, too. He had 21 factors, together with three 3-pointers in Sport 7. Nevertheless it was his protection that earned essentially the most reward.
“He did what he’s been doing,” Nuggets interim coach David Adelman mentioned. “We tried to be somewhat extra conservative as soon as he crossed half-court within the protection. However then it was on Christian to get by means of screens and get again in entrance of him, to keep up our protection.”
For Clippers coach Tyronn Lue, it was a tough forty eighth birthday. His workforce trailed by double digits at halftime and fell behind by 35 factors within the fourth quarter.
“Robust loss. Not enjoying our greatest recreation in a scenario like this, a variety of feelings,” Lue mentioned. “I informed guys to carry it in, one final hug.”
They’ll take solace in the truth that Kawhi Leonard heads into the offseason as wholesome as he is been shortly. He did not make his season debut till Jan. 4 because of points along with his surgically repaired proper knee. Harden held issues down till Leonard’s return, which Lue applauded.
The Clippers entered the postseason because the league’s hottest workforce, having received 18 of 21, and Lue was already trying previous the frustration.
“These two collectively for an entire season, I believe can be super,” Lue mentioned.
Harden, although, turns 36 in August and Leonard turns 34 subsequent month. Is there a degree of encouragement the Clippers can proceed to construct round them?
“I assume we’re nonetheless enjoying at a excessive degree in a way,” Leonard mentioned. “It’ a tough query to reply proper now.”
The Related Press contributed to this report.
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