HOUSTON, TX - APRIL 29: James Harden #13 of the Houston Rockets handles the ball against the Utah Jazz in Game One of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2018 NBA Playoffs on April 29, 2018 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images)Bill Baptist/Getty Images

James Harden Puts on Show vs. Jazz: Highlights from Rockets G's 41-Point Game 1

Joseph ZuckerApr 29, 2018

The Utah Jazz owned one of the best defenses in the NBA during the regular season, but you wouldn't have guessed it after James Harden's big day in a 110-96 win for the Houston Rockets on Sunday.

Harden finished with 41 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. He shot 12-of-26 from the field and 7-of-12 from beyond the arc.

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The Jazz were without Ricky Rubio, which made life easier for Harden. The Jazz don't have another guard who can handle Harden in one-on-one situations.

Granted, nobody has devised a plan to consistently stop Harden, but matching up Royce O'Neale or Jae Crowder against the presumptive MVP isn't going to work out for Utah, which was evident Sunday.