In a surprising turn of events, James Harden delivered an impressive performance, scoring 28 points to guide the Clippers to a 111-105 victory over the Nuggets, forcing a Game 7. After underwhelming games in the earlier rounds, Harden's resurgence was attributed to strategic changes by Coach Tyronn Lue, including utilizing a smaller lineup to create spacing and opportunities. Harden's second-quarter surge, scoring 17 points, illustrates how essential coaching adjustments and player accountability can influence playoff outcomes.
I know what needs to be done. 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.
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.
We played small and created a lot of space that allowed me to be successful in the middle, Harden said.
I wanted to get to the small lineup against their second unit. Going to that and seeing how good it was just to kind of space the floor was really huge for us.
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