HOUSTON – Timberwolves guard Derrick Rose knows a little something about league MVP performances when he sees them, and he witnessed one in Sunday’s 104-101 loss at Houston, the opening game of a first-round NBA playoffs series.
Doing some of what Rose once did to opponents during his 2011 MVP season, Rockets superstar James Harden toyed with the Timberwolves often Sunday, showing the ball before taking it away with a deft crossover or between-the-legs dribble while he decided whether to destroy with the step-back three-point shot or a fierce drive to the rim.
In Game 1, he scored 25 of his 44 points in the game’s final 18 minutes and made seven three-pointers on a night when his three-point happy teammates made just three more.