Friends became foes when the Los Angeles Clippers hosted the Dallas Mavericks for an intriguing Game 5. The former Brooklyn Nets teammates, James Harden and Kyrie Irving locked horns in the clash as representatives of their respective teams. Unexpectedly, it brought out the latter’s frustration with the Clippers’ guard, showcasing the cracks in their dynamics.
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During the second half, the duo faced off against each other in one possession, with Irving tightly contesting Harden. The Mavs guard initially stayed close to The Beard, forcing the latter to bring the ball near his head to protect it. Soon, Uncle Drew attempted to reach for it, resulting in a theatrical reaction from the hosts’ guard. Consequently, the latter fulfilled his aim as the game officials gave a foul call against Irving in the process.
This visibly disappointed the Mavs star prompting him to accuse Harden of flopping. Leaked audio from LegendZ on X (formerly Twitter) captured him saying to the game referee, “Come on, man. He has been doing that sh*t all series”. Irving even sarcastically imitated his former teammate’s reaction to mock him before declaring, “That’s not basketball”.
Despite stating the words in the heat of the moment, Irving’s comments carried a certain volume. After all, Harden is leading the Clippers in free throws attempted per game (5) as per Basketball Reference, while scoring 92% from the free-throw line. This showcased his seeming inclination towards gathering free throws and eventually, scoring from them, leading to the frustration of the opponent.
However, the Mavs have gone shoulder-to-shoulder in this regard. For instance, Irving went to the free throw line 22 times till now, scoring 90.9% of his attempts. On top of this, the franchise’s talisman, Luka Doncic, leads the series in free throw attempts per game (7.2) as per Basketball Reference. As a team, the visitors have also attempted 26 more free throws than the hosts in the five games.
Thus, Irving’s comments failed to hide his roster’s intentions, in comparison to the opposition. Yet, the source of his accusation remained rooted deeper than Harden’s ongoing antics.
Kyrie Irving’s frustration was based on the reputation of James Harden
Over the years, Harden made a name for himself by earning foul calls in his favor in crunch moments of the game. His histrionic reactions often aided in him receiving a free throw, turning it into a major part of his gameplay. As a result, it boiled in frustration amongst his NBA peers while adding to his reputation as an egregious flopper.
To put an end to these instances, the NBA introduced the anti-flopping rule ahead of the 2023/24 season. It aimed to limit the seemingly unethical antics of the players while maintaining the flow of the game. Consequently, several believed that it would majorly affect the scoring ability of Harden, limiting his offensive prowess to a large extent.
Contrary to those beliefs, The Beard backed himself during a pre-season interview with USA Today Sports. Defending his reputation as a 10x All-Star and a former MVP, Harden mentioned, “Honestly, like, it doesn’t affect me. I’m sure that will happen for everyone in the league because it’s part of the game. If it happens, it happens; you shoot a free throw and then move on”.
Despite the declaration, Harden has failed to adapt his gameplay to the demands of the NBA. During the regular season, he attempted 4.8 free throws per game, as per StatMuse, his third-lowest in a single season. It consequently affected his scoring form as the California-born registered 16.6 points per game, as per StatMuse, also his third-lowest in a single season.
This further validated the comments of Irving as the series entered its ‘do-or-die’ stage. With the Mavs already having a 3-2 lead and the odds slightly disfavoring Harden & Co., these antics must create a difference in favor of the Clippers.
