After game, James Harden asked about Giannis: “Next question”

After a thrilling 120-116 Houston Rockets victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, James Harden was asked about guarding Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Houston Rockets are 2-0 in the NBA’s Orlando restart bubble after clutch victories over the Dallas Mavericks and the Milwaukee Bucks. The Rockets have shown all the strengths and weaknesses associated with their small-ball strategy, including getting outrebounded 65-36 and getting obliterated in the paint 60-20 but scoring 63 points from the 3-point line in 61 attempts to offset. Rockets’ star James Harden‘s defense down the stretch on Sunday night was a huge asset, especially against the defending MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Harden’s defense has long been derided, but it’s time to update that perspective. Especially at the point of attack and when he’s defending on the ball, he can more than hold his own and did so late in the game against Giannis.

In two consecutive possessions at the end of the game, as we see in the above clip, Harden shut Antetokounmpo down and forced crucial stops in a game between two teams and stars who have quickly become heated rivals in the past year.

Thanks to the battle a year ago between Harden and Antetokounmpo for MVP, they’re on each other’s radars. Harden had a historic scoring season, averaging 36.1 points per game, but was denied the award thanks to Giannis’s own incredible year. This season, once again, Harden is putting up ridiculous numbers, averaging 34.6 points per game, but Antetokounmpo is a virtual lock to win his second straight MVP award.

James Harden and the Houston Rockets have complained about narrative propelling Giannis to MVP contention and wins, then Giannis picked Kemba Walker over Harden in this year’s All-Star draft, leading to his declaration that he “wanted someone who would pass the ball”.

Harden’s assist totals dwarf Walker’s, and three years ago he led the NBA in assists with 11.2 per game, but again, narrative.

This led to Harden dropping the following nuclear bomb in reference to Giannis Antetokounmpo:

"“I wish I could just be 7 feet and run and just dunk. Like, that takes no skill at all. I’ve got to actually learn how to play basketball and have skill, you know? I’ll take that any day.”"

It’s a rivalry we never expected to get between two quiet and soft-spoken superstars at the peak of NBA glory.

Following the Rockets’ victory over the Bucks, a reporter asked Harden how difficult it was to guard Giannis.

His response was terse:

It’s probably a long shot for the Rockets and Bucks to meet again in the Finals in October, but as this rivalry continues to simmer, it might be just the perfect way to cap off this absurd season of NBA basketball.

In the meantime, the Rockets will carry their perfect bubble record into their next game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday, and the 1-1 Milwaukee Bucks (they defeated the Boston Celtics in their first game) will play the Brooklyn Nets also on Tuesday.

Following this frustrating loss, it’s safe to say the Nets are in for a serious beating.