3-point shooter, also missed both of his 3-point attempts in Game 5, the first time he failed to connect on a long-range shot since Feb. 4.

Clippers coach Tyronn Lue told reporters in Denver that the Nuggets blitzed Harden, who, at 35 years old, can still deliver a scoring punch in crunch time.

“I think Denver made up their mind up that they’re going to try to take him out of the series after the first two or three games,” Lue said. “They’re doing a good job, but I just have to do a better job of finding ways to get him open, to get him space. Probably more isos because they’re blitzing him so much to try to get him to his spots.”

Kawhi Leonard, who had 20 points, nine rebounds and 11 assists in Game 5, averted answering questions about Harden, suggesting that offense wasn’t the Clippers’ problem; it was their defense.

“We got to play the game. My teammates knocked down shots tonight, we just weren’t able to defend,” Leonard said. “You have to keep playing the same way. If we want to keep going, everyone has to contribute, which they are doing. Yeah, just keep playing the same game.”

Any explanation about his performance will have to wait. Harden not only disappeared on the court, but skipped out for a second straight time this postseason before anyone could ask him about his performance.

Harden isn’t the Clippers’ only concern heading into the elimination game. While the league’s third-rated defense stopped three-time league MVP Nikola Jokic from easily getting to the rim, the Clippers couldn’t stop Jamal Murray, who exploded for 43 points on 8-of-14 shooting from 3-point range, Aaron Gordon (23 points) or Russell Westbrook, who scored 21 points off the bench.

“He made a lot of tough shots, but he can do that. He made a lot of tough shots, we could have done a better job,” Clippers center Ivica Zubac said of Murray. “But at the end of the day it’s a make-or-miss league. He made a lot of shots. It’s hard to win against anyone when you have a player shooting like that.”

Lue said the Clippers need to make changes if they want to extend the series to a deciding seventh game but declined to give any hints.

“We gotta respond. We blew them out in Game 3. They came back and responded in Game 4. We gotta do the same thing,” Lue said. I don’t know what changes you could make. They made shots ... coming back home, Intuit will be rocking. We’ll be fine.”