The Houston Rockets escaped with an extremely narrow victory on Tuesday, as they defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of their first-round matchup, 104-102. Thunder rookie Lugendtz Dort had the game of his life in this crucial encounter, which prompted a show of respect from Rockets superstar James Harden at the buzzer.
Here's a look at Harden approaching Dort at the end of the game:
Rockets’ James Harden offers huge hug to Thunder’s Luguentz Dort after seven-game battle pic.twitter.com/5IWhE7M1cS
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) September 3, 2020
Harden likely had some words of wisdom for the young shooting guard, who finished with a career-high 30 points on 10-of-21 shooting, to go along with four rebounds, an assist, and a block in 35 minutes of play. Dort also went 6-of-12 from distance, but it also so happens that his final attempt from 3-point territory ended up getting blocked by none other than Harden himself.
Dort could have given the Thunder the lead with his go-ahead triple with less than five seconds remaining in the clock. However, Harden came up big on defense, amazingly blocking Dort's attempt.
For his part, Harden did not exactly have the best performance in this one. The former MVP logged just 17 points on 4-of-15 shooting, with three rebounds, nine assists, two steals, and three blocks. As mentioned previously, however, he came up big on the defensive end when it mattered most.
Houston has now advanced to the second round after an all-out war with an unrelenting Thunder side. James Harden and the Rockets are now set to face off against the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Semifinals, with Game 1 slated for Friday.
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