MVP: James Harden
In a game where the Houston Rockets shot 3-34 from three-point land, the slashing part of their slash-and-kick equation became all the more important. Unfortunately, Harden is often the only player capable of filling that role for this Houston team. Today was no exception; Harden was unstoppable driving to the hoop late in the game (excepting a couple charge calls in the second half). He shot 16-18 on free throws on his way to 39 points on 24 shots. His seven assists weren’t too shabby either.
Additionally, his defense was, by his standards, pretty exceptional.