Stephen A Smith strongly criticized James Harden after his 10-point Game 2 performance in a playoff loss to the Detroit Pistons.
Cleveland Cavaliers star James Harden is under heavy spotlight again after another rough playoff performance, and ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith delivered a strong reaction after Game 2.
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Harden struggled in a 37-minute outing, finishing with just 10 points as his team fell into a 2-0 hole against the Detroit Pistons. His impact on offense was limited, and he failed to find any real rhythm during the game.
Smith did not hold back when talking about Harden's recent playoff form and his approach in big moments.
"I'm gonna look at the camera and I'm gonna say this to James Harden. Your [Hall of Fame] status is on the verge of being revoked... We know about his history in Game 7s, where in the last four or five Game 7s, you're shooting like 27% from the field and 17% from three-point range," he said on ESPN's First Take.
"It's like, this is one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history, Shay and Skip. And the fact is, when you look at James Harden, what really, really gets scary is that it's the inactivity. Like, I'd have been happy if he was 0 for 12. Like, really? You're not even attempting shots? One of the all-time great scorers, as the moments intensify, you shrink? You scared to shoot? This is, it's unbelievable."
The criticism came after a game where Harden shot just 3-for-13 from the field and also committed 4 turnovers, finishing with more turnovers than made field goals.
Detroit now leads the series 2-0, putting even more pressure on Harden and his team as they prepare for Game 3 in Cleveland.
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