James Harden was far from impressive in the defeat, registering 11 points on 3-of-9 shooting, to go along with eight rebounds, five assists, two steals, zero three-pointers and four turnovers in 35 minutes of play.

James Harden managed only 11 points on 3-of-9 shooting and finished a team-worst minus-16 on a night when the NBA's third-best regular-season defense got carved up by Denver's 29 assists on 48 made baskets and 55.8% shooting, including 17-of-33 on 3-pointers (51.5%).

The Los Angeles Clippers are on the brink of being eliminated from the 2025 NBA Playoffs after they suffered a 131-115 defeat at the hands of the Denver Nuggets in Game 5 on Tuesday night. For the second straight game, James Harden struggled for the Clippers, and as a result, he opted against speaking to the media for the second straight night.