During his media session with reporters on Saturday, Houston Rockets combo guard Eric Gordon talked about the challenge of guarding Los Angeles Lakers superstar small forward LeBron James.
No one is going to stop James for four quarters since he’s an all-time great. With that said, Gordon is just going to do whatever he can to make James take contested shots and keep The King out of the paint.
“He’s always going to be tough to slow down, period,” Eric Gordon said about defending LeBron James, via Mark Medina of USA TODAY Sports.
“You just have to make him take contested shots and try to make it hard. You don’t want to get it to the point where he’s getting everyone involved and knocking down shots.”
In Game 1, James scored only 20 points and didn’t register a single point in the fourth quarter. The Lakers star shot 7-of-15 from the field, 2-of-7 from beyond the arc and 4-of-5 from the free throw line in 37 minutes of action. The Rockets took Game 1 by a final score of 112-97.
Gordon and the Rockets have to expect a more aggressive James in Game 2. Odds are the four-time MVP won’t take only 15 shots again, especially since his Lakers are down 1-0 in the best-of-seven series.
In Game 1, Gordon played 34 minutes and finished with 23 points. He shot an efficient 7-of-14 from the floor and 3-of-8 from the 3-point line. The Indiana native has strong upper body strength, so he’s able to hold his own against James in the post from time to time.
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