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James Harden, Rockets Beat Chris Paul, Thunder 123-108 for Lopsided Game 1 Win
August 19, 2020
Coming into the NBA postseason, there were major questions about how the Houston Rockets would fare while Russell Westbrook was sidelined with a quad injury.
If Tuesday night was any indication, the Rockets should be just fine.
Led by another vintage James Harden performance and a strong night from their role players, the Rockets smoked the Oklahoma City Thunder 123-108 in Game 1 of their first-round series.
Mike D'Antoni told reporters Tuesday the team didn't have a timeline for Westbrook's return against his former team, but players like Eric Gordon, Ben McLemore and Jeff Green more than picked up the slack, combining for 57 points.
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Add in a solid defensive performance and the Rockets were able to cruise. The Thunder will need to make some major adjustments ahead of Game 2.
Key Stats
James Harden, HOU: 37 points, 11 rebounds, 6-of-13 from three
Eric Gordon, HOU: 21 points, four assists
Jeff Green, HOU: 22 points, six rebounds, four assists
Danilo Gallinari, OKC: 29 points
Chris Paul, OKC: 20 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists, two steals
Steven Adams, OKC: 17 points, 12 rebounds
James Harden Did His Thing
It's no secret that the Rockets want to let Harden go to work in isolation, or that he's either going to drive the basket or take a stepback three.
But knowing it and stopping it are two entirely different things.
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Harden was excellent yet again Tuesday night, dramatically outplaying Paul and carrying the load for the Rockets. Yes, he crucially had a lot of help, but Harden got his postseason off to a strong start.
And that brought out all the takes:
Oklahoma City will be hoping to have Luguentz Dort back for Game 2 after he was unavailable Tuesday. Nobody else on the Thunder had much luck slowing down Harden.
OKC Needs Much More From Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Dennis Schroder
Paul shook off a slow start to nearly record a triple-double, and Gallinari was excellent throughout, but SGA and Schroder really struggled Tuesday.
Scoring just nine points on 2-of-8 shooting from the field is not going to cut it from SGA, while Schroder (six points, 3-of-12 shooting) was even worse.
Granted, Oklahoma City's offensive game plan was questionable, as the Thunder spent too many possessions eschewing any sort of movement for one-on-one play. That sort of strategy works when you have a player like Harden and a supporting cast specifically structured to play around him.
It didn't work for OKC on Tuesday, however, in large part because SGA and Schroder were poor.
What's Next?
These teams will clash again in Thursday's Game 2 at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.