Clippers produced one of the worst playoff performances on Wednesday night against the Dallas Mavericks. Despite having a chance to tie the series in Game 5 in Los Angeles, the tables were turned unexpectedly. The team struggled, falling behind 123-93, now trailing 3-2 as the series shifted to Dallas for Game 6.

Although the Clippers played without Kawhi Leonard in Game 5 due to a right knee injury, their recent defeat raised many eyebrows. This wasn’t the first time they were without Kawhi; notably, the LA Clippers won the previous two matches he missed. In the midst of this fervent debate, Paul Pierce weighed in.

He sat down with the team at Undisputed and shared his insights about the Clippers’ recent struggles and one of their key players. A snippet of his perspective was shared on Undisputed’s official X account with the caption, ““The team is so moody” – Paul Pierce on the Clippers’ mentality.” But Pierce’s discussion wasn’t solely focused on the Clippers’ mindset.

“I just don’t know, just mentality-wise, who this team is. I understand the highs and lows from James Harden. It’s like they’ve taken on his personality,” he added. “He goes for the 33… He’s going to turn the corner this year. And then when I look up, he just has seven points. It’s just such a discrepancy from his highs to his lows.“But why did Paul switch to Harden suddenly?

James Harden’s lackluster performance

Leonard’s injury is just one of the reasons the Clippers gave to explain their abrupt end to the season. Among the players on the court, James Harden caught the attention of the basketball world. Why? He only scored seven points, and that too in garbage time during six minutes. His poor performance not only left the Clippers trailing in the best-of-seven series but also pushed them to the brink of elimination.

However, this wasn’t the first time Harden underperformed. Last season, while playing for the Philadelphia 76ers, he had a similar showing. Harden secured 13 points in the sixth game and nine points in the seventh game, leading to losses in both. In the wake of this disheartening defeat, NBA icon Paul Pierce issued a strong call, saying it’s time to part ways with James Harden. Now, Harden must perform better to keep the Clippers’ season alive. What are your thoughts? Comment below!