After all, the mid-series playoff collapse took place for James Harden on the Cleveland Cavaliers. He recorded 18 points, four rebounds, four assists, and a concerning eight turnovers, shooting 38.5% from the field and 30.0% from a distance, in a game-three 22-point loss to the Toronto Raptors.
There was just no stopping this night from happening, yet, from the get-go, before Harden was shipped to Cleveland, fans of the LA Clippers had been preaching about Harden’s postseason failures, so the Cavaliers would be aware of the kind of trouble they were inviting.
Harden has never been a true playoff riser, and following his atrocious performance, the city of Cleveland must send a prayer to the basketball gods that it won’t happen again, even though chances are, game three was the start of a downward spiral.
Cleveland witnessed a James Harden nightmare that’s about to get so much worse
Prior to pulling the trigger on a trade for James Harden, the Cleveland Cavaliers should’ve asked themselves, "Why is a player of his caliber ringless?" He’s had all the teammates, best of the best superstars next to him, and elite head coaches, but has just not won a ring.
Unfortunately, Cleveland is witnessing the answer in real-time; Harden cannot deliver consistently when it matters most, and as a result, there is practically every accomplishment on his resume except a title.
The problem is, once Harden has a bad night, the next one just gets worse. This is because the pressure increases, and with the spotlight looming over him to bounce back, the former MVP gets in his own head and often plays a scared, less-aggressive type of basketball.
While he still makes plays at a high level, there appears to be no confidence within him to get a bucket.
Fans of the LA Clippers can talk from experience, as they saw it a year ago against the Denver Nuggets.
Harden laid out a pitiful game four, with 15 points and four turnovers on 11 shot attempts, and what ended up happening next? An even worse night of 11 points and four turnovers.
Clippers Nation isn’t the only one, though; the Philadelphia 76ers can attest as well, considering they had the same happen to them in the conference semifinals versus the Boston Celtics.
Though it would be a miracle if Harden dominates in game four for Cleveland, all signs point to another disappointing night, forcing the Cavaliers to realize Clippers fans were right about the inevitable.
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