Shaquille O'Neal Scolds Paul George and James Harden After Clippers' Game 5 Loss

In the aftermath of the Clippers' Game 5 playoff loss to the Mavericks, NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal didn't hold back his criticism.

"They had no energy. They had no fight. They had no enthusiasm," he lamented on TNT.

O'Neal particularly targeted James Harden and Paul George for their lackluster performance. The two NBA stars combined to score just 22 points on 6-of-25 shooting in the Clippers' blowout loss.

"They tried to play hero ball at the end by shooting those threes," he observed. "Paul had a surge of scoring late, but too late by then."

O'Neal pointed out George's early struggles, stating, "You can't be the go-to guy and have five points in the first half."

O'Neal continued, "That's why I've never really been on the Clippers bandwagon because those two guys are too inconsistent for me. You can't go from 33 to seven."

Kenny Smith, O'Neal's colleague, attempted to downplay the situation, "It happens."

But O'Neal remained steadfast in his message, "No it does not."

He's not wrong. Paul George and James Harden can't have off nights in the NBA Playoffs. That will always result in a loss.

George and Harden would be wise to take O'Neal's message to heart and bounce back in Game 6. If they don't, the Clippers' season will likely come to an end in Dallas.

Related: Charles Barkley Calls Out Luka Doncic's 'Bad' Basketball Habit

Related: LeBron James Goes Wild Over Kyrie Irving's Jaw-Dropping NBA Playoffs Highlight