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5 current NBA stars who choked in the Playoffs

Blake Griffin and James Harden
Blake Griffin and James Harden

NBA Playoffs are make-or-break time, it's where superstars and their legacies are made. It's that time of the year when the spotlight shines brightest on the superstars. Everybody expects them to put on a show. Therefore, it's disappointing when they don't perform and falter under the pressure of the circumstances.

In the 71-year history of the league, there have been many players who've choked when it mattered the most. However, we are sticking to the current crop of superstars and the most recent choke jobs that we have witnessed in the postseason.

That said, here are the top five stars who have recently choked in the Playoffs:

#5 LaMarcus Aldridge - San Antonio Spurs (2017)

LaMarcus Aldridge in the 2017 Western Conference Finals against the Golden State Warriors
LaMarcus Aldridge in the 2017 Western Conference Finals against the Golden State Warriors

Over the course of the 2016-17 regular season, the San Antonio Spurs had gotten the better of the star-studded Golden State Warriors, winning the season series 2-1. And in Game 1 of the Conference Finals, they were dominating once again through two-and-a-half quarters.

That's when their MVP candidate Kawhi Leonard rolled his ankle on the Zaza Pachulia's leg while landing after a jump shot.

Now, purely from a talent standpoint, San Antonio was short even with Leonard and his absence just created that much more of a talent deficit in comparison to the Warriors. So it was time for the next man to step up and lead the team.

The next man was LaMarcus Aldridge but he didn't show up. Not just in the remainder of Game 1 but in any of the ensuing games, allowing the Warriors to sweep the series and advance to the Finals.

Aldridge, whose proven himself to be a potent offensive player time and time again, averaged just 11.3 points and 5.3 rebounds while shooting 38.4% in Games 2, 3 and 4. Not to mention how he failed to take over Game 1 once Leonard was out and not lead the team to a win despite having a 21-point lead.

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