Ex-Clippers Star Defends James Harden Amid Massive Game 7 Criticism

Former LA Clippers star Quentin Richardson defended James Harden after his Game 7 performance against the Denver Nuggets.

May 3, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; LA Clippers guard James Harden (1) prepares to pass the ball in the second quarter against the Denver Nuggets during game seven of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The LA Clippers and their fans are still recovering from a brutal Game 7, suffered last night at the hands of the Denver Nuggets. The Clippers fell in a blowout loss, 120-101, as the Nuggets end their season and move on to face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round of the NBA playoffs.

The story of the game for LA was James Harden struggling to get it going on offense. The former MVP put up just seven points on 2-for-8 shooting, while dishing out 13 assists.

Former Clippers star and NBA analyst Quentin Richardson went on SportsCenter to discuss LA's Game 7 loss. Contrary to many who are heavily criticizing The Beard, Richardson came to his defense, noting that he still dished the ball out at a high level.

"I felt like he was playing the ‘James Harden’ game," Richardson said. "You’re not terrible if you have 13 assists. I felt like he came out, and he was trying to set the table, like get everybody else going.

"He did a good job of getting people up, 13 assists is not easy to do. We all know that. The blowout came too quick. He didn’t get a chance to get himself going and try to get himself to go off because the snowball effect came, everything rolled up too fast."

While Harden struggled to score, his 13 assists led the game on both sides. Unfortunately, it wasn't nearly enough to get his teammates going, as Denver led by as many as 35 points at one point in the game. LA now enters the offseason with plenty of questions surrounding its stars.

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