James Harden missed only one shot in his 23-point first half against the San Antonio Spurs, despite San Antonio boasting the league’s best defense. Most of the damage came in the first quarter, when he dropped 16 points, as the Rockets pulled out to a double-digit lead against San Antonio in a key divisional game.
James Harden roasted the Spurs’ No. 1 defense one pick-and-roll at a time
This was an MVP-like showing.
This shot, which ended the first quarter, was completely unconventional and somehow worked anyway.
Mostly, though, it has been off pick-and-rolls. The Spurs switched on one, leading to Harden being guarded (barely) by a big man that he blew past for a layup.
Don’t trap him, either — it’s just not going to work.
If all that fails, Harden is just as capable of stepping back with a three in your face.
Harden finished the night 39 points, three rebounds and 12 assists. While Harden was fantastic on Monday night, he was overshadowed in the end by a Kawhi Leonard takeover.
