James Harden

Even with the clock turned back and a vintage performance soon to enter the history books, James Harden’s chances of pairing his big-time showing with a win appeared questionable, with his team’s grip on a 31-point lead all but lost. For the NBA’s former Most Valuable Player, though, the recipe for survival was simple: keep a win within reach for his L.A. Clippers by keeping his floaters just out of reach of the Dallas Mavericks. With the ball in his hands and a late-game burden on his back, Harden accepts the challenge in isolation, using the Mavericks’ attempts to prevent his signature stepback against them with swift drives to the rim, turning three different isolation possessions into three perfectly-placed teardrops over a one-and-a-half minute stretch. Playing the role of giant slayer during the Clippers’ most critical stretch of the season, Harden’s herculean efforts helped steer them to victory, retrieve home court advantage, and force the series into a 2-2 tie. Locked into one of the best game-to-game sequences in his playoff career, Harden’s offense was of the fire-breathing dragon type in Game Four as he tallied up an efficient 33 points — including 15 during his final-quarter takeover — accompanied by six rebounds, seven assists, one steal, one block, and four 3-pointers in 40 minutes.