OKC Thunder gameday preview: MVP showdown courtesy of third meeting vs. Rockets

Containing The Beard:

While easier said than done, the obvious priority is to keep James Harden from getting into a rhythm. He’s the league leading scorer for a reason, so playing him tight on the perimeter, while the rest of the team is ready to help on a drive, is imperative.

Again though, it’s not like Harden won’t catch fire at some point. But when he does, the key for the OKC Thunder will be to stay mentally tough by weathering some storms and answering back. That means finding a way to score with the momentum against them and force Harden to play at their speed.

In addition to Harden’s elite ball handling and scoring ability, he’s now mastered the art of getting the foul call. He’s found a way to get the benefit of the doubt more often than not, as he leads the league in free throw attempts, which means defending without fouling adds an extra layer of difficulty.

His free throws are a big reason why he’s able to average 36.5 points per game, so keeping him off the line will be another top priority for the Thunder.

The Los Angeles Lakers even went so far as to keep their hands completely behind their backs and still weren’t always able to avoid the whistle. So how does one defend an elite scorer with incredible ball-handling skills and avoid bail-out calls like the ones he’s been getting? That much I don’t know.