Statement James: Harden’s 36 Points Lift Rockets to 112-97 Cruise Over Lakers in Series Opener
The “Other” James. Greatest Show on Court. Blazing a Different Trail.
“I’m the guy who does his job. You must be the other guy,” one of many classic quotes from Martin Scorsese’s The Departed. And a series with all the makings of a classic began on Friday night, as the Rockets stunned the Lakers. with an easier victory than anyone expected. Houston shut down L.A., winning 112-97, to take a 1-0 lead in the series. You all know LeBron James. The guy’s who’s been doing this job for over a decade. LBJ’s supposed to be here. He’s been to this round every year he hasn’t been injured, minus his rookie season. “King James” has become a familiar face to NBA fans throughout the playoffs over the years. His presence in the postseason has become as certain as life, death and taxes. LeBron may not always win, but he does his job, and when healthy usually carries his team deep into the playoffs. But the times seem to be changing. Who exactly is this “other James? The one with the lengthy beard, a strong, ball-handling wizard. The one who’s patented step-back move is copied around the league. He’s not even supposed to be here right? He fails to show up in the playoffs, right? So… what’s he doing here anyway? And he definitely doesn’t play any defense, right? Wrong. The “other” James is here to make a statement, a passing of the torch to King James torch from one player to the other. LeBron can do his job, but if his teammates don’t step up, Mr. Harden’s here to disrupt LBJ’s sights on another ring. After Game 1, so far the “other” James has outplayed the James that gets Jordan comparisons.
The Beard feasted on a Dort-less defense. Harden finished at the rack with relative ease, en route to 36 points and 5 dimes to lead the Rockets. Russell Westbrook excelled as Robin to Harden’s Batman, scoring 24 points, while grabbing 9 boards and dishing 6 assists. When Houston’s Batman and Robin combine to top the 60-point mark, the Rockets are nearly really tough to beat, with an 82% winning percentage in games their stars reach the 60-point plateau. And Eric Gordon showed, that maybe, just maybe Splash Gordon is finally back. After a critical Game 7 performance in the first round, EG finished with 23 points (11 in the fourth quarter), and also showed explosive ability to get to the rim. More impressive than anything EG did on the floor was his ability to contain LeBron, without seeming to gassed. Maybe LeBron’f finally feeling the effects of aging after a game agains the fastest, most potent offensive force the NBA’s ever seen. And the squad with this offensive force, Houston, also happen to have the best defensive rating in the playoffs. The Rockets are getting it done on both ends.
All that racket about L.A.’s size being an issue for Houston. Anthony Davis tried to dominate P.J. Tucker. P.J.’s raw strength and wide body. However, despite the height difference, P.J. prevented A.D. from making a huge impact. Davis would’ve had a better chance trying to bust through a vault. When people say P.J. Tucker is strong and one of the best defenders in the NBA, that’s no cliche. The fact P.J. Tucker’s never won the defensive player of the year award is a shame. LeBron James scored only 20 points, as EG continues to thrive as a perimeter defender this postseason. Gordon “passively” contained LeBron, and it was impressive to say the least. LBJ was still getting a feel for this matchup… he knows the uphill battles Houston presents and the war that awaits. Expect King James to be more aggressive for the rest of the series, but this was a great start for the Rockets defensively. After LBJ and AD, Houston held everyone else for the Lakers in check. Harden and the Rockets have to prepare for a motivated, driven freight train with no regard for human life, aka the man LeBron James will be in Game 2.
After Game 1, LeBron compared the Rockets to the NFL’s Rams of the past, saying, “there’s no way you can simulate that speed.” Houston is too quick for the Lakers. Granted, it’s only one game. But, the Rockets winning isn’t what makes this series so interesting. It’s how they won. After trailing 7-0 to start the game, Houston ended up leading for the majority of play, and by as many as even 19 at one point. And the Rockets pulled away in the final quarter, where they held LeBron James scoreless as the “other” James ensured his team would get the victory to start off this battle of behemoths. On Friday night, L.A. learned this lesson the hard way: Harden and Russ are a completely different breed of animal than Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, who the Lakers faced in their first-round win over the Trail Blazers. And many “experts” compared Portland and Houston’s backcourt as similar, the Blazers have won All-Stars, but Rockets have two formers MVP’s, and more firepower. And yes, the Blazers won Game 1 in the first round, but that was it, they didn’t win again. Technically, it’s still possible for that to happen to the Rockets, but Houston’s is blazing a different trail than Portland. The Lakers, while just not showing up in Game 1 against the Blazers, got flat-out beatdown by the Rockets in Game 1 of the second round. L.A. doesn’t just have to play better. It’s not that simple. The Lakers have to make adjustments. But, the Rockets depth really exposed the L.A. in Game 1. It will be interesting to see what ideas LeBron and Lakers Coach Frank Vogel use to attempt to adjust to Houston’s firepower on both ends of the floor. Houston’s arsenal of versatile bigs, P.J. Tucker, Robert Covington, and Jeff Green, contained AD, JaVale McGee, and Dwight Howard in Game 1. And as of now, Los Angeles has no answers for stopping the Beard or the Brodie. Russ and Harden made Game 1 look like an execution layup drill, getting pretty much whatever they wanted on the court.
The Rockets have to maintain their focus heading into Game 2. With LeBron’s experience, you know he’s coming out with a Game 7-level mindset in the next game, and if Houston gets too comfortable, this series could be tied too quickly. Harden and the Rockets have an opportunity to cherish, a chance at making the Lakers sweat by beating them in Game 2, and putting L.A. in an 0-2 hole. If Houston wants to take the next game, and a two game edge in the series as well, the squad needs to bring the same defensive intensity and hustle they showed in Game 1. LeBron James, the guy who’s face represents the league more than anyone, will show up in Game 2. And as LBJ found out in Game 1, don’t forget about the Bearded maestro. A driving sensation whose ball handling skills, quickness, and shooting determination push him one step closer to taking King James’ title as the NBA’s best player. It’s the other James: Harden. The one player more determined to win than anyone in the Bubble. You know… the “other” guy.