Hernández: Clippers' James Harden showed up in Game 6. Can he do it again for Game 7 in Denver?
Clippers guard James Harden, right, celebrates with forward Nicolas Batum after his three-pointer in the fourth quarter of Game 6. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Something unexpected happened in the Clippers' elimination game on Thursday night.
James Harden actually showed up.
In the Clippers' 111-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets at Intuit Dome, Harden looked nothing like the player with a reputation for stinking up arenas at this stage of the season.
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He was purposeful, he was sharp, and he scored 28 points in Game 6 to extend his team's first-round playoff series to seven games.
'I know what needs to be done,' said Harden, who won his first elimination game since he played for the Houston Rockets in the NBA bubble in 2020.
Read more: James Harden and Kawhi Leonard power Clippers past Nuggets to force Game 7
Game 7 will be played on Saturday at Ball Arena in Denver.
The performance by Harden was a stark-contrast from his vanishing acts in the Clippers' losses in Games 4 and 5.
He scored 15 points in Game 4 and just 11 in Game 5.
The Nuggets had the Joker. The Clippers had the Choker.
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This looked like more of the same from Harden, who scored a combined 23 points and shot just 25% last year in Games 5 and 6 defeats by the Dallas Mavericks that resulted in the Clippers' first-round exit.
However, coach Tyronn Lue said he was to blame for Harden's lack of production, saying he was responsible for creating more space for Harden.
'I need to get you more involved,' Harden recalled being told by Lue on the team's flight home after a Game 5 loss in Denver.
Lue's solution: To designate more minutes to a smaller lineup that included Nicolas Batum. The Clippers started the second quarter with Harden, Batum, Kawhi Leonard, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Derrick Jones Jr.
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'I wanted to get to the small lineup against their second unit,' Lue said. 'I thought we were able to push the pace, get open shots, get to the paint, kind of spread 'em out a little bit so they couldn't just load up and try to take away driving lanes.
'Going to that and seeing how good it was just to kind of space the floor was really huge for us.'
Harden thrived in that second quarter, scoring 17 points.
'I thought he did a good job attacking one-on-one,' Lue said. 'Our spacing was really good tonight. He was able to get to the paint, get to the basket.'
With the Nuggets mindful of Harden, openings were created for others. Norman Powell scored 11 points in the third quarter, during which they were ahead by as many as 15 points. Leonard scored nine of his 27 points in the same period.
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Harden finished with a team-high eight assists.
'He's been here before,' Leonard said of Harden. 'Guys have games where they don't play well during the season. It's just another game, so I knew he was gonna be able to come back, or he was going to be aggressive and try to get to his spots.'
The Clippers now have a chance.
They have a chance to take down the Nuggets and advance. They have a chance to advance further than any team in franchise history.
That chance, however, is contingent on Harden continuing to play like this and not reverting to his customary postseason form.
Can his body hold up?
Harden played 47 minutes in Game 6, marking the third time in this series he played more than 40 minutes.
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He is 35 years old.
'Tired,' Harden said. 'Tired, a little bit.'
Does Harden have another 47 or 48 minutes in Denver?
'Have to, have to,' Harden said. 'Whatever the team needs, 47, 48, overtime, whatever, I'll be willing to do it.'
Lue didn't think fatigue would be a problem for Harden.
Read more: Clippers search for answers against Nuggets in critical Game 6
'He wants to play every night,' Lue said. 'He's in great shape, trains for these moments. He wants to play.'
Harden averaged more than 35 minutes over 79 regular-season games, and he thinks the workload will prepare him for a Game 7 that will be played 5,280 feet above sea level.
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'Prepares your body physically to be able to withstand and just being able to play both ends of the ball,' Harden said. 'Your legs are tired, so you've been there before. For me, it's just finding my spots.'
The simple objective could produce monumental changes in reputation — not only for Harden personally but for the Clippers as well.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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