The Los Angeles Clippers were eliminated in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs for the third straight season on Saturday night, falling to the Denver Nuggets, 120-101.
While Clippers star forward Kawhi Leonard made some dubious personal history — recording a career-worst -33 plus-minus in the defeat — his sidekick (James Harden) was perhaps the biggest reason why Los Angeles lost.
Harden finished the contest with just seven points on 2-for-8 shooting (1-for-4 on three-pointers) and while he added 13 assists, the Clippers badly needed more scoring from the former MVP. Harden’s seven points were tied for the second fewest he scored all season, his eight field goal attempts were a season-low and his -29 plus-minus was his second worst of the campaign.
With his 2017-18 regular season MVP award, 11 All-Star honors, seven All-NBA recognitions and three scoring titles, “The Beard” is a lock for the Basketball Hall of Fame.
While Harden’s performance on Saturday represented his fewest points in seven Game 7s across his 16 NBA seasons, that doesn’t mean this was a fluke. Harden’s stat line against the Nuggets in the do-or-die contest continued a growing, concerning trend for the 35-year-old in games when his team needs him most.
Harden’s Game 7s Have Been Particularly Ugly Since 2020
Harden’s first career Game 7 came in May 2011, during his second NBA season when he was still with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
As the Thunder’s sixth man, he shot an efficient 6-for-10 (4-for-8 on three-pointers) for 17 points, while adding four rebounds, four steals and three rebounds in a second-round win against the Memphis Grizzlies.
It would be another four years until Harden played another Game 7, this time with the Houston Rockets in May 2015 during a second-round matchup with the Clippers. Harden shot just 7-for-20 from the field (2-for-7 on threes) but was 15-for-18 from the free throw line to finish with 31 points, while adding eight assists, seven rebounds and three steals in another victory.
In May 2018, the Arizona State product had a chance to lead the Rockets to their first NBA Finals in 23 years, but Houston fell to the Golden State Warriors in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals. Harden finished the contest with 32 points, six rebounds, six assists and four steals, but he shot 12-for-29, including a brutal 2-for-13 from beyond the arc.
His last Game 7 victory came in 2020 with the Rockets in the “Bubble,” when his team defeated the Thunder despite a rough showing from Harden. He scored just 17 points (4-for-15 FG, 1-for-9 3PT), adding nine assists, three rebounds and four turnovers.
Since then, he’s lost Game 7s with three different teams (Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers and Clippers) every other year, in 2021, 2023 and 2025, respectively.
Harden’s Lost Game 7s With NBA-Record 4 Different Teams
Harden is one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history with his three straight scoring titles from 2018-2020 and ranking third among active players in career points behind LeBron James and Kevin Durant.
His career average of 24.1 points per game is 12th among active players and the 22.5 points per playoff tilt ranks him 48th all-time. Game 7s, however, have been a different story.
“James Harden in seven Game 7s in his career: 19.3 PPG/7.9 APG/5.7 RPG/35.5 FG%/ 22.4 3pt%/ 7.6 FTAs/3-4 team record,” Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic posted on Bluesky.
Harden’s career splits between Games 1-4 of a playoff series and Games 5-7 are stunning as well.
“James Harden in the first 4 games of a best-of-seven series:
23.3 PTS on 59.4 TS%
James Harden in Games 5, 6 & 7:
20.7 PTS on 56.6 TS%,” Keerthika Uthayakumar wrote on Bluesky.
The NBA Stat Bluesky account also noted that with Saturday’s loss with the Clippers, Harden’s Game 7 setbacks with four different teams is an NBA record.
For as iconic as a player Harden has been with the endless accolades, his Game 7 shortcomings will always be a part of his legacy.
James Harden’s Record in Game 7s Continues to Raise Eyebrows