The Houston Rockets handily took Game 1 of their first-round playoffs matchup against the fifth-seeded Utah Jazz, 122-90. Following the huge win, all eyes (and ears) were on MVP frontrunner James Harden in the post-game press conference. So much so, that Rockets point guard Chris Paul felt that he had no value on the podium and decided to walk out of the presser.
After Game 1 blowout win over Jazz, Rockets' Chris Paul bails from the podium because all the media questions were directed to James Harden pic.twitter.com/Icwdz7Q7sN
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) April 15, 2019
In the moments building to Paul's abrupt exit, Harden is seen a bit confused as to why the media seemed to ignore his teammate's presence on the podium. When Paul finally decided to call it a night, Harden needed a couple of seconds to grasp what had just taken place before he was able to address the interviewer's question.
It was all in good fun, though, as Paul is seen smiling as he exited the scene. There was indeed much to smile about on the evening, as the Rockets absolutely pummeled the Jazz in the opening game of the series, and in the process sending a huge statement to their opponents.
To be fair, Harden did deserve much of the attention in this one — as with most nights — as he once again led the charge for his team, accounting for a game-high 29 points on 11-of-26 from the floor, along with four three-pointers, eight rebounds, and 10 assists.
For his part, Paul was not bad himself, putting in a highly-efficient performance, as he shot 7-of-12 overall for 14 points, with three rebounds, seven assists, a steal, and a block.
Game 2 will take place on Wednesday, and surely, it will be a much tougher evening for the Rockets with the Jazz looking to avenge their atrocious Game 1 performance.
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