The Houston Rockets’ James Harden locked in several records in the regular season, mostly for his offensive prowess. But in the playoffs, Harden’s struggles are apparent. And in Game 5 against the Golden State Warriors, Harden made history with his 3-point bricks.
Harden, who’s known to be a 3-point assassin, was 0-for-11 in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals. The number of misses ties John Starks’ feat in 1994 against the Rockets for the most 3-point attempts without a make in playoff history, according to data culled by Basketball-Reference.
From the field, Harden just shot 5-of-21. To be fair with him, he still managed to chip in 19 points. He was 9-of-9 from the free throw line.
Luckily for him, the Rockets managed to get the victory. His teammates Clint Capela, Eric Gordon, and Chris Paul scored in double figures.
Capela himself put on a defensive clinic, blocking two shots. Gordon also struggled and shot 3-for-10 from downtown. Yet his aggressiveness put enough pressure on the Warriors’ defense.
Paul, for his part, was the main star of the Rockets in Game 5. Along with 20 points, he snagged seven rebounds and dished out six assists. He was also 4-of-9 from the arc. Several of his makes were contested ones. But the big news on Paul is his hamstring injury.
The Rockets are up 3-2 and are one win away from reaching the NBA Finals. It’ll be a tough Game 6, as it’ll be on the Warriors’ home court. It is a must win for them. If it the series reaches seven games, they are heading into unfamiliar territory.
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