James Harden makes up for off shooting night with tough defense

Per NBA.com data, Harden held the Celtics to 3-of-12 shooting (25.0%) as a primary defender, and he also forced three turnovers.

Though he did hit the winning free throws, Houston Rockets star James Harden wasn’t at his best on offense in Saturday’s victory at Boston. However, he made up for it in a big way on the defensive end.

The NBA’s scoring leader had just 21 points on 7-of-24 shooting (29.2%), and he also had a critical turnover late in regulation that played a large role in the game going to overtime. The former MVP’s scoring total was nearly 14 points below his 2019-20 season average.

But despite Harden’s unusually poor shooting night, the All-Star stayed highly engaged on the defensive end, and he was a key cog of the aggressive switching defense employed by head coach Mike D’Antoni.

Per NBA.com tracking data, Harden held the Celtics to 3-of-12 shooting (25.0%) as a primary defender, and he managed to force three turnovers, as well. Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 32 points, but he shot 0-of-4 on possessions with Harden as the primary defender against him.

While Harden has long been known as one of the league’s best post defenders, he held his own Saturday in isolation settings, as well. That allowed the Rockets to secure an impressive road win against the Celtics (41-18), despite shooting just 15-of-55 on 3-pointers (27.3%).

In the bigger picture, that type of defensive versatility and physicality by a 6-foot-5 guard is a big part of what allows Houston to succeed defensively with a smaller lineup, led by 6-foot-5 P.J. Tucker at center.

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The Rockets held the Celtics scoreless over the final 2:48 of overtime on Saturday, leading them to a 111-110 victory (box score). Even though he struggled as a shooter, Harden still had the team’s best plus-minus figure at +9 in his 40 minutes.

Besides forcing missed shots, Harden also had three steals, including a critical one against Marcus Smart when the Rockets trailed by a point with under 30 seconds left in overtime. The turnover led to a transition sequence, resulting in a Celtics foul and Harden’s winning free throws.

Though Houston ranks No. 15 in the NBA in net defensive rating for the season, they improved to No. 7 in February amid the switch to a smaller lineup. The Rockets (39-20) won nine of 11 games in the month, headlined by the six-game winning streak that they’ll take into March.

Harden and the Rockets return to action Monday night with a road game against the New York Knicks (18-42). Tip-off from Madison Square Garden is set for 6:00 p.m. Central time.

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