In his first full season since being traded from the Philadelphia 76ers, James Harden played a key role in the LA Clippers securing a spot in the postseason. Following another outing where he came up short in a big moment,

Although "The Claw" sat out for the first 34 games of the 2024-25 campaign due to right knee management, once he returned, he gradually embraced a larger role and closed out the regular season in stellar form — averaging 26.5 points in his last 15 appearances.

Chandler Parsons, a teammate with James Harden during his time on the Houston Rockets, shed some light on Harden's shortcomings in Game 7.