Oklahoma City Thunder two-way player Luguentz Dort drew the task of having to guard James Harden on Monday night and the rookie exceeded expectations by a longshot.
Of course, trying to stop the former MVP is no easy feat in itself but Dort made Harden work for his points in the 112-107 victory on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Harden still finished with 29 points but needed 29 shots to in order to reach that mark and shot just 9-of-29 from the field, including 1-of-17 from 3-point range. His display from beyond the arc tied his own record for the most missed 3-point attempts in a single game.
By contrast, Dort recorded eight points and two rebounds in his first career start in place of Terrance Ferguson. According to NBA stats, Dort held Harden to 10 points on 3-of-14 shooting from the field and 1-of-11 from 3-point range in nearly eight minutes as his primary defender.
Luguentz Dort held Harden on 9-29 shooting and 1-17 from the 3.
Let that sink in… pic.twitter.com/EZzxBHiGRt
— ً (@dortsexual) January 21, 2020
Dort was disciplined guarding Harden after not biting on his patented pump-fake. Harden attempted just four free throws with Dort defending him as the rookie proved he belonged on the court. Dort always had a hand in Harden’s face and was mostly successful in avoiding foul trouble.
The Thunder return to action Wednesday against the Orlando Magic.
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