“gdhighlights” tag's highlights of related matches, posts & more...
This is sportsmanship 🙏💯 #shorts
âś… SUBSCRIBE, LIKE & COMMENT! ---- đź“Ś TikTok: https://bit.ly/3oq16Xu đź“Ś Instagram: https://bit.ly/3sTk5JP đź“Ś Twitter: https://bit.ly/3nlhlDL ---- All clips property of the NBA. No copyright infringement is intended. All videos are edited to follow the "Free Use" guideline of YouTube.
Despite the Loss EP 6: Russ won the Battle, Harden won the War.
The Houston Rockets lost game 3 of their first-round playoff matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2017 NBA playoffs. The matchup featured a duel between former teammates James Harden and Russell Westbrook, a pair that appeared in the 2012 NBA Finals together. Westbrook entered the game as the recently selected KIA NBA Most Valuable Player due to his otherworldly statistical average during the 2016-17 regular season. Oklahoma City entered the season with very low expectations in the wake of their star player, Kevin Durant, leaving in free agency to join the Golden State Warriors. This move sent ripples throughout the NBA as two former MVPs, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, joined forces to compete for a championship. The trio of James Harden, Kevin Durant, and Russell Westbrook were the main three components of the Oklahoma City finals run from 2012. These three players would all go on to win at least one MVP award during their careers. Many speculate that a team consisting of these three could have been one of the most transcendent teams of all time. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be and the three all ended up playing for different organizations during their peak years. Russell Westbrook’s MVP campaign featured a historical stat line that hadn’t been done since the 1960s by hall of fame PG Oscar Robertson. He averaged over 30 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds per game, this is colloquially known as a triple-double among basketball fans. No player had averaged a triple-double for an entire season since the “Big O” did it during the 1961-62 season. Harden finished in second place for MVP voting that year. This MVP race created controversy among many fans as they complained that Westbrook was creating huge statistical numbers on a bad team which inflated his opportunities and therefore his counting statistics. Harden was the leader of a better team according to the rankings and had similar stats in every measurable category to those of Russell Westbrook. Many believed this statistical similarity should be decided by which player belonged to the better team. This was not how the MVP voters saw it however and they awarded the MVP honor to Westbrook. The series was going how many experts predicted, a runaway victory for Houston. Many used game three to solidify the argument that Westbrook deserved to win the MVP award. He led his team against seemingly insurmountable odds and managed to steal away a win in a series that should have certainly ended four games to zero. Harden and company stumbled out of the gate, falling behind 17-7 early on in the first quarter. Westbrook was looking consistent early, hitting several jump shots and layups to get into a rhythm early in the contest. This was the Thunder’s first game at home during their playoff run after Westbrook was awarded MVP. The fans seemingly made the difference for them in this one as Westbrook put on a masterclass at home. Not to be outdone in his return to OKC, Harden began to light it up offensively after a slow start. He managed to make almost twenty trips to the free-throw line and didn’t fail to convert a single shot there. His 18-18 night at the line made his nearly 50-point game possible. With no other stars in either lineup the game devolved into a shootout at the OK Corral between Harden and Westbrook. Both players exchanged big shots all night long like two heavyweights slugging it out. Like every Batman these two used their teammates as Robin, setting them up at various moments throughout the night for a myriad of dazzling assists. As the game came down to a critical moment, Westbrook drew a foul and went to the line to shoot two free throws while up by one point. After Westbrook split the pair at the line and Houston rebounded, Harden found himself with a chance to win the game on a made three-pointer as the clock read 7.7 seconds. He strolled down the court and pulled up for a shot to win the game as time expired but couldn’t get it to go. The loss marked Houston’s first loss of the playoffs and made the series 2-1 with game 4 to be played again in Oklahoma City. Houston would win the next two games and complete what is considered a “gentleman’s sweep”, 4 wins and a loss. Video Credit: GDHighlights