James Harden Returns to MVP Form as Rockets Win Game 1 vs. Lakers

Harden led all scorers with 36 points as he shot 12-20 from the field in Houston's 112-97 win.

The Rockets survived a poor offensive performance from James Harden in Game 7 against the Thunder on Wednesday night, but a similar effort against the Lakers was likely to ensure a short series. Yet after Houston's 112-97 win in Game 1 on Friday, there's little reason for concern regarding the three-time scoring champion. Harden's shooting woes vs. Oklahoma City appear to be a Dort-induced outlier. Houston's leading man was in MVP form en route to a blowout victory in Game 1 vs. Los Angeles.

Harden set the tone for Houston in the opening minutes on Friday night. Each of his first five shots were in the lane, a welcome sign after his stream of missed triples against the Thunder. Harden saw little resistance on the perimeter regardless of the defender in front of him. Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee stayed largely anchored to corner shooters, leaving no deterrent at the rim. Harden lived in the paint and at the free-throw line en route to 25 first-half points. He served as the catalyst for Houston's resounding Game 1 win. 

Harden didn't quite light up the scoreboard after halftime as he finished the night with 36 points on 20 shots. But his dominance forced a diet of Los Angeles double teams, freeing shooters across the floor. Five Rockets hit multiple threes on Friday. Russell Westbrook feasted in the lane in the second half. Harden's otherworldly talent can make life quite easy for his teammates. Houston's supporting cast reaped the benefits on Friday. 

Jeff Green is averaging 1.42 points per roll possession with the #Rockets.

Not hard to see why.

Terrific chemistry with James Harden, who threads the needle beautifully here. pic.twitter.com/KRRxTpC0t0

— Michael Shapiro (@mshap2) September 5, 2020

We assumed the Rockets would be able to score in bunches on Friday given Los Angeles' lack of perimeter talent, but Houston's defensive effort was downright shocking. Each Rocket held their own against Anthony Davis on a number of post-ups, and an effective wall was successfully formed against LeBron James as he drove to the tin. The Lakers' dynamic duo still finished the night with 45 points on 31 shots, but the made buckets were ones Houston can live with. Davis was forced into numerous tough turnarounds. James never quite found a rhythm as he finished with zero fourth-quarter points. The Lakers' size is legitimately imposing, and their frontcourt talent may be unmatched. But there's a blueprint to stopping them. Houston executed it to a tee in Game 1. 

"We executed really well," Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni said postgame. "We had a few lapses we could've done a little bit better in the first half. But in the second half, defense was right on point. We made them work for every shot, and that's what we want to do."

We should expect continued double teams of Harden throughout the second round, and James will likely look to fill the scoreboard early and often in Game 2. A long series awaits. The first game is more likely a prologue than a harbinger of things to come. But it's hard to consider Game 1 anything but a massive sign of encouragement for the Rockets. Their defense continues to be elite. Their MVP is back on track. Houston spent much of 2019-20 touting its championship ceiling. That was certainly on display as the second round kicked off on Friday night.