Houston Rockets: 3 takeaways from Game 1 vs. Timberwolves

1. James Harden is unguardable

After having 339 days to ponder over last year’s playoff meltdown in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals against the San Antonio Spurs, James Harden played like a man on a mission on Sunday night, doing everything in his power to silence his critics.

Throughout the game, the Beard made a conscious effort to carve Minnesota’s defense apart by looking to drive inside. In addition to utilizing his ball-handling skills and alternating gears to hit tough shots around the paint and perimeter, Harden showcased why he is arguably the best one-on-one player in the world during a time in which the Rockets needed him the most.

"“He’s an MVP candidate and you know why,”  Timberwolves power forward Taj Gibson told ESPN ‘s Tim MacMahon after Game 1. “Every time the game was ‘mano y mano’ and they were in a tight spot, he just took over the game. He made some tough shots. He just played phenomenal tonight. We were trying to throw everything at him.”"

https://twitter.com/HoustonRockets/status/985716783897341952

Although the defensive-minded Thibodeau tried his best to make life hard for the league’s leading scorer by having Minnesota’s bigs switch out to defend him at times, it was not enough to slow down the MVP candidate from putting together the fifth 40-plus point performance in his playoff career. Harden made sure to strut and remind the fans in the Toyota Center and the national audience whose house it was.

While displaying his elite scoring prowess late in the contest, Harden proved to be unguardable, reminding his naysayers that he is indeed comfortable on the postseason stage.

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The Rockets will seek to rest up and recover over the next couple of days prior to Game 2 Wednesday night in Houston.