The Denver Nuggets struck back at the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday as they took a 20-point lead heading down the stretch of Game 5 of their opening round Western Conference Playoffs series.

The Nuggets’ recent frustrations boiled over into masterful play as they took the Clippers out their game and put 99 points on the scoreboard heading into the final quarter. 

Denver managed to hold star Clippers guard James Harden under 10 points as the fourth quarter wound down at Ball Arena in the Mile High City.

Harden became the target of Nuggets fans from the cheap seats to courtside ticket holders as Denver continued its all-out assault on Tyronn Lue’s Clippers. 

James Harden (standing) and Jamal Murray go for a loose ball in Denver on April 26. 

© Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Nuggets beat reporter Rachel Strand of Clutch Points shared a video of Clippers fans verbally berating Harden with chants of “Harden sucks!” as the Nuggets took a 16-point lead into the fourth quarter. 

“Ethical hoops only sorry Harden,” one fan said in the comments section on X. 

“To be fair, they are just stating a fact,” another reader wrote. 

Harden currently ranks 15th all-time in playoff scoring among all NBA players historically. He has a chance to pass Celtics legend Larry Bird with a strong finish to the 2025 playoff season, which would go a long way toward quieting his critics.