How does an elephant crack a nut? It steps on it. The force will be too much to bear.
Harden, the 28-year-old Rockets star reaching the height of his offensive prowess, has a similar impact on NBA defenses. When he’s at his best, there’s little that can be done — Harden doesn’t have to change his game for anyone.
In Game 1, Harden illustrated how hard what he does is to guard in a 110-96 Rockets victory. He hoisted stepback 3s. He managed to get inside steps to the rim against Rudy Gobert. He dribbled in isolation enough times to make the crowd dizzy.