In an unexpected turn of events, James Harden stunned everyone with his Game 5 performance against the Dallas Mavericks. His mere 7-point contribution to the score was detrimental to the Clippers’ 93-123 fate, leaving a big stain on his career. He is now #2 with the lowest FG% (min. 10) in playoff history. Giving him company on this list is none other than Bob Cousy, former Boston Celtics’ Point Guard, among many other unexpected names. So, what is exactly all this about?

Game 5 was crucial for both the Mavs and the Clippers, as this could make or break their previously tied score. Dallas emerged out of the game with a 3-2 lead, but Harden and Co. weren’t even close to putting up a fight. If the Clippers had won, maybe this wouldn’t have received all the attention. However, The Beard‘s performance contributed to the terrible loss, leaving fans and critics bewildered. He managed only 7 points, 4 rebounds and 7 assists in 33 minutes.

James Harden’s Field Goal Percentage for the game was a mere 16.7, promoting him to #1 amongst other players with a poor (20%) FG. That marked his 11th such game, taking him one above the Bob Cousy. Alongside them were former NBA players like Bill Russell, Dennis Johnson, and Paul Pierce (the most recent name on the list after Harden), all of whom have retired.

James Harden is the only active player on the list. Notably, his performances this season have had highs and lows, surprisingly, last night wasn’t his worst performance of the season.

James Harden’s faltering performance

Although he had an FG% of 42.8 in the regular season and 47.9 in Round 1 of playoffs, James Harden’s been quite inconsistent. His FG% fluctuated from Game 1 and Game 2 to Game 3, wherein he scored 28 (8-17 FG), 22 (6-14 FG), and 21 (7-13 FG) points, respectively. Although his performance picked up in Game 4 with 33 points (12-17 FG), it fell again drastically last night with only 7 (2-12 FG) points scored.

In fact, his performances have been faltering with each month of the season.

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Within only 6 months, his FG% has decreased by 13.1. Even though James Harden’s prowess is undeniable, his recent performance raises question marks and the Clippers cannot afford to lose again. To advance to Round 2, The Beard must find a way around this setback, as with Game 6 at their necks and Dallas in the lead, the stakes are high.

James Harden must put behind him his single-digit hauls in the 2012 NBA Finals (single digits in 3/5 games), the 2017 Spurs-Game 6 (2-11 shooting, 12 turnovers) disaster, the 2023 Celtics-SFs Game 7 meltdown, and the 2024 Clippers-Game 5 to still give his team a fair shot at making it. Game 6 is scheduled for Friday, May 3, 9:30 pm EST.