On Friday night, the Dallas Mavericks defeated the LA Clippers in Game 6 of the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs and advanced to the second round to play the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Dallas overcame going down 1-0 after their loss in Game 1 and won four of their next five games to take down the Clippers. This series was filled with drama, as there were multiple scuffles during Game 3 and there was tons of physicality for the entire series.

Russell Westbrook became a hated villain in this series for his antics, and Kyrie Irving and James Harden’s individual rivalry intensified throughout the series. Irving did a great job of defending Harden in this series, and he got the best of his former teammate with the series win.

James Harden’s cocky take about Dallas Mavericks ages horribly

Irving dominated for the majority of the series, and Harden disappeared when his team needed him most. Harden finished with 16 points while shooting 5-16 from the field and 0-6 from downtown. Before the game, Harden made a bold take about Game 6 and the Mavs, and it ended up coming back to bite him.

“There’s no pressure on us,” Harden said before Game 6 against the Mavs. “The pressure’s on them to win the game.”

Harden said that he and the Clippers knew how to take down the Mavs as well, and these takes ended up working out horribly for him. There was pressure on both teams in this series, and Harden’s take could be taken in multiple ways.

The Mavs did have pressure on them considering they were heavy favorites and at home, but the Clippers were playing a game that they had to win in order to avoid getting bounced. The Clippers had some pressure on them contrary to what Harden thought.

Harden having a bad game after saying this was only fitting, and it may have been a better idea for him to say nothing about pressure going into that Game 6.

For all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks throughout their 2024 NBA Playoff run, stay tuned.