Harden My Presence: Rockets Block OKC’s Last Gust, Edge Thunder, 104-102, to Advance
Wild, Wild West. Sigh of Relief. Out of the Blue.
“Are you not entertained?”, Russell Crowe screams in Gladiator, after taking out a gang of fighters. And after an entertaining, twisty, and topsy-turvy seven-game series, the Rockets finally ousted the fighting Thunder in a decisive Game 7, 104-102, to advance to the next round. Houston barely made it out alive in the decisive game, and switched this matchup’s trend, winning their first close game of the series. James Harden, despite struggling offensively, made the defensive play that might define his legacy, that is, if the Rockets reach their ultimate goal. Luguentz Dort, Oklahoma City’s sneaky defensive stud, who most people had never heard of before this series, had the game of his life on Wednesday. Dort, not known for an offensive sharpshooter, had quietly improved his shooting over this series. And in the final game of the epic battle, the undrafted rookie went 6-for-12 from deep, scoring 30 points to lead the Thunder, their hottest player of the night.
The play that saved Houston’s season started out nerve-wracking. OKC started the possession with the ball, off a rebound from a missed Rocket shot, and about 18 seconds on the clock. Chris Paul dribbled past the mid-court line and could have held the rock for the final shot, with Houston leading 103-102. OKC eventually found Lu Dort beyond the arc with about 3 seconds remaining. Dort nailed half his threes in Game 7, and seemed to be in a groove he’d yet to display shooting-wise in the series. As Dort caught the rock he was wide open on the perimeter. When the ball was passed, the Beard was in the paint, trying to prevent Steven Adams from getting the ball. Exerting maximum effort, Harden, out of the blue, somehow found enough quickness to close out on Dort, getting a finger on the ball, and barely blocking the shot. An open shot that had at least a 50% chance of falling, with the way Dort was shooting not the night. Without Harden’s hustle, Houston is back home right now. It wasn’t just his hustle. The Beard had the presence of mind to avoid Dort’s attempt to throw the ball off Harden, and give OKC one last look. The Thunder would get one more chance, with 1.1 seconds left, but a P.J. Tucker steal punched a ticked to the second round for the Rockets, and ended a wild game, and series.
Game 7 had all the makings of a classic. The matchup was close throughout, and despite Houston, grabbing the lead for the majority of the game, the Rockets never held a sizable advantage. And with OKC’s reputation as the best clutch team in the NBA, the Thunder were always in it as long as the game was close. James Harden struggled mightily again offensively in an elimination game, shooting only 1-for-9 from three, and scoring 17 points, fourth on the roster. The Beard made up for his lack of aggression on offense with a season-saving play on defense near the end of the game. But Houston needs Harden to avoid these types of mental collapses on offense if the Rockets want any chance of beating the Lakers in the next round. Or at least seize the moment. Whatever it is, something about elimination games put the Beard in shock. Hopefully it was Lu Dort’s sudden offensive emergence, a surprising sight for all to witness, that put Harden in a shock. Luckily, he snapped out of it as he entered the fourth quarter with 8 minutes to go. The Beard, despite having a torrid first three quarters, actually had a productive fourth quarter. Harden scored or assisted on the Houston’s final 13 points, with two buckets near the rim, and three dimes. Throw in a game-winning block, and Harden’s night wasn’t as bad as most people will tell you. However, the Rockets can’t afford mental lapses from Harden against L.A. Luckily the Lakers, other than LeBron, who will be carrying enough of L.A.’s load, don’t have anyone on Dort’s level capable of guarding Harden. In fact, look for Harden to feast on the Lakers. The Beard’s also outscored LeBron James in their last seven meetings. Harden plays well against the Lakers, and the Rockets were lucky to get by a Thunder team who matched up better against Houston’s guards. The Lakers may have LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the size advantage, but L.A. has nowhere near the perimeter depth OKC had with Paul, SGA, and Schroder. Look for Harden, along with Russell Westbrook, to perform at a higher level in the next series.
The Rockets aren’t playing the Lakers if it weren’t for the “Others”, guys like Eric Gordon and Robert Covington, who led the way with 21 points apiece. RoCo nailed 6 huge threes, and was Houston’s MVP in Game 7 on both ends of the court. Gordon had the defensive game of his life guarding CP3, preventing the former Rocket from getting the revenge he was desperately looking for near the end of the game. If Gordon, who went 5-for-9 from the perimeter, is back performing like Splash Gordon on a nightly basis, these Rockets are going to be a lethal matchup for the Lakers. Gordon, along with RoCo’s play are the keys to beating L.A. in the next round if Houston wants to advance.
James Harden, the “guy who doesn’t play defense”, exhumed some playoff demons with a roar after his block on Lu Dort to basically seal the win, and the Beard sounded extra relieved in his post-game interview afterwards. This was a wild one. A game that should have never happened. But the Rockets toyed around with the Thunder long enough, and they’re lucky to make it out alive. Very lucky. This series felt like a game of Russian Roulette. A game, they likely won’t win, with the same mindset against the Lakers. If not for RoCo’s exceptional night, EG’s sudden renaissance, and Harden’s career-defining block, the Rockets would be headed back to Houston. Westbrook had 20 points and held down the fort during Harden’s offensive struggles. Jeff Green continues to fit perfectly in Houston, scoring 13 points. With Green’s bigger size, expect him to see more action in the next round against L.A. And Danuel House has quietly been strong defensively all series, one of many the Rockets will throw at LeBron James to try and slow down the game’s most dominant player. Mike D’Antoni’s coaching decisions were more logical in the decisive victory. In the long run, Houston will be tougher overall after gutting out a gritty seven-game first round series against OKC. It was no cake walk getting through the Thunder. If the Rockets can hold off exhaustion, and build on their current momentum riding into the next round, Houston has a chance against L.A. It won’t be easy. Don’t expect to see any sweeps. This one features two of the NBA’s top three teams, with the Clippers likely awaiting the winner. Barring any injuries, this next series has the potential to be the most competitive we’ll see all postseason. It’s the only the series in the league that’s going to feature three former MVP’s in LBJ, Harden, and Westbook (Unless the Rockets face the Bucks in the Finals). If their first round win over the Thunder wasn’t exciting enough, the next matchup against LeBron and the Lakers promises to be something special… prepare to be entertained.