2018 NBA Playoffs: Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors preview

1. Will CP3 be enough if Harden crumbles under the pressure?

Any New Yorker that reminds you of Mike Rappaport will tell you the 1990s New York Knicks never went all the way because Patrick Ewing was a choke artist. Hopefully, that’s not something Rocket fans are repeating about James Harden years from now.

Inconvenient truth: James Harden has a rough history in clutch moments in the playoffs.

Going back to his days in an Oklahoma City Thunder uniform, Harden had a pretty bad performance in the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat. He also played poorly in 2013 and 2014 in elimination games — like two points in the final 18 minutes kind of poorly.

The year after that, he broke the single-game record for turnovers with 13 in an elimination game against the Warriors.

Still not convinced?

Then in 2017, Harden lost so badly to a Kawhi Leonard-less San Antonio Spurs squad that we thought maybe the Monstars stole his talent.

While Chris Paul is less of a choker, he has a poor record of losing early on in the playoffs. However, given his Hall of Fame poise and skill-set, his unwavering thirst for competition, and his 41-point outburst against the Jazz in Game, the proof is there: Paul is ready to win.

But, if he can’t rely on James Harden necessarily, does he have the firepower to compensate if the Beard shrinks from the spotlight?