James Harden missing his rhythm so far in the NBA Finals – NBA Feature
Down 1-2 in the NBA Finals, the Oklahoma City Thunder need to return to the very attitude that had them running through the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals.
The Thunder were more aggressive late in that series, were passing the ball better to find the open shot and spreading the Spurs defence to allow Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook to do what they do best – shoot the ball.
All through the playoffs, OKC have been exceptional from the foul line and were putting up a defensive effort filled with hustle and contested plays. However in the last game, that Thunder side took a back seat and now at the
verge of going down 3-1, they need to step up on all these areas.
However, the most important thing that the Thunder need back is James Harden’s game.
Harden has been the third best player in the Thunder line up all year, and their third scoring option. The reigning 6th man of the year provided the Thunder with range in shooting and opened up the opponent’s defence
with the ball in his hands. He has done a great job all season in spreading the floor and drawing the defence out. Plus, he is the best ball handler in the team.
Harden added to his excellent regular season with some big games in the post season that allowed OKC to reach the Finals. His three point shots in clutch situations helped the Thunder stage comebacks in the final periods and his
consistent performances made the Thunder offense too much to handle.
But Harden seems to have lost his rhythm in the NBA Finals. He had 5 points and 3 assists in game 1, going 2 of 6 from the field. He then had 9 points and 6 assists in game 3 where he went 2 of 10 from the field. This has made
the Thunder worried.
“I thought defensively he was good. There's going to be nights that you're not going to make your shots. He had a great shooting night the game before. He had a rough shooting night. He just has to come back with the same amount
of confidence that he always does, and hopefully he has a better shooting night,” said Thunder coach Scott Brooks.
Harden has been dry all series long and his absence on the offensive end is harming the Thunder’s chances of winning their first NBA championship. They showed signs of inexperience in Game 3 when they gave up a 10 point lead in
the third quarter and were only down by 1 in the fourth, but still could not get the job done and finish the game.
“A couple mistakes, a couple missed free throws, not necessarily turnovers, but a couple possessions, we fouled two 3-point shooters, and it's a different ballgame," said Harden after the Game 3 loss. He was seen exasperating in
frustration after a couple of missed shots but if Thunder are to win it, he has to fire.
OKC are now two losses away from having their season ending abruptly, after cruising through the playoffs till now. They will need to win a game in Miami if they want to extend the series and move back to the Chesapeake Energy
Arena where a roaring crowd awaits them.
The pressure is on them now to prove they can face adversity and come out with a victory when they face Miami in game 4 at the American Airlines Arena and risk going down 3-1 with a loss. They lost the first two games against the
Spurs but bounced back to win the next four. Can they come back into this series, we will know Tuesday night.
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