Comparisons between hard‐x‐ray experimental spectra and those obtained from a planar one‐dimensional one‐temperature fluid laser‐produced plasma model show good agreement over several orders of magnitude in x‐ray intensity and for Nd‐laser irradiances varying between 2×1014and 8×1015W/cm2. The key to this agreement is the careful modeling of electron‐energy flux limitation by return‐current‐driven ion‐acoustic turbulence. The hard‐x‐ray temperature agrees with a (I&lgr;2)1/3scaling law.