Are The Jazz Crazy For Guarding Harden This Way?

[@BlindingGlow]

I hope you never change the sick music you use for these videos. Always pumps me up for some reason lol.

[@TheMaciekm]

He once used Animal Instinct by Anno Domini Beats, it was dope as well

[@perezfinichames]

I agree.

[@hesomelotv7430]

Sometimes it’s cringy as hell🤦‍♂️

[@dakari2027]

Andrew Stevenson boi u got a dubstep playlist u ain’t any better

[@bballbreakdown]

Great to hear! THx so much!👂👂🏀🏀

[@FamishedYoshi]

1:00 Don't worry coach, your musical "Keep the Jazz *in tune* " joke was not lost on me 😂

[@chaosawaits]

He has Dad puns all over his videos lol I love it

[@EricSmyth4Christ]

Somehow I missed that, thx

[@bballbreakdown]

Haha, awesome.. you never know who's hearing what

[@jimothyhalpert2379]

Bucks have the tools to shut harden down. Jazz not as much I mean Ricky Rubio isn't the most lengthy athlete

[@rahilarora3792]

JimothyHalpert23 yup you’re right!

[@jimothyhalpert2379]

@@rahilarora3792 to be fair though Rudy gobert is the ultimate defensive tool he's not gonna stop any step back three's though

[@neirad537]

harden already scored 42 on them

[@jimothyhalpert2379]

@@neirad537 just cuz he scored don't mean he did good. Bucks won both games and didn't let him set up his teammates.

[@ipodtouch573]

JimothyHalpert23 Rachel Nichols voted him for all nba defense one year

[@Spikezx7]

@ 2:47 , That moment when you see Harden shoot right-handed and are momentarily confused.

[@michaelhaydenbell]

Ah yes, that ultra-relatable moment we all know all too well.

[@kylesinclair9025]

Pj tucker at 7:07 lmao, he just chilling

[@iuhshwth1634]

He knows damn well he aint getting the ball that play 😂😂

[@bballbreakdown]

DwightSchruteItsTrue.gif

[@iman5147]

In 2K I would have passed him the ball. If you leave him open, he can't miss from the corner

[@baklavaconsumer1080]

The bucks have Bledsoe who is quick enough to keep up with Harden, if you don't have fast defenders then this is not going to work

[@trillpillcosby6320]

A simple pick and roll to a slower defender is all that they will do.

[@jontrellolando]

KD will put him down before that matters

[@djolife1407]

This just in...Houston's bench scored 5 EFFING POINTS last night. If you want to congrats the Jazz' D on Harden you do that, but if your bench gives you 5 points how are you gonna win????

[@chasam1]

And Capela just scored 4. 4+5=9 thats why Utah Won. Wont happen again

[@JolinHard]

And Faried only played 5 mins why!?!?

[@chasam1]

@@JolinHard i think because Gobert got in foul trouble, houston went small. Also, Jazz protected the paint/rim well so he couldn't do much.

[@djolife1407]

I think he was sick @@chasam1

[@Tauttuk]

Draft wilt chamberlin

[@pkimx001]

if the jazz could somehow figure out how to shave off his beard, he would be rendered useless.

[@Infinicat]

Pablo Kim The beard is his ultimate form 😂😂

[@pkimx001]

@Clayton Bigsby Exactly... only the beard isn't a symbol of power from God, but how can you ball out when you look like a shaved end of a qtip

[@erikjon8432]

Capela has the virus flu since the beginning of the series and It showed last night. The strategy worked for 1 do or die game last night..don't mean a lot..it didn't work for 3 games lol

[@SekeU85]

Cause Capela is really ever the reason they win or lose lol tbh play Faried is the better choice cause he can do what Capela can do and also hit the corner 3 on occasion 🤷🤷🤷

[@johnyreyes3567]

@@SekeU85 lol bro are u serious? How long you been watching the Rockets since Capela joined? Look at the Rockets record when he's on the court

[@erikjon8432]

@@SekeU85 umm seriously? Re-watch the 1st 3 games or look at the stat sheet

[@erikjon8432]

@@johnyreyes3567 yea wtf lol

[@milkboy2228]

@@SekeU85 What the fuck?

[@prxdigy_clxtch0568]

Hey coach Nick thanks for making great videos!!

[@KD-lx1cr]

If it was 2k all this 3s would be wide open cuz the defender is behind him lol

[@ej8071]

true lmao

[@nickfisher8569]

KD’s Burner honestly tho😂😂

[@ivanwithers9469]

You're forgetting to bring up the major adjustment Utah made on offense last night. They focused on penetration much more than previous games. Rubio and Crowder were going into the lane every chance they had. Spida started doing it more in the 4th. The key to beating Houston is exposing the weak defense inside. Which opens it up for the three game later on. (Assuming Utah makes them). Also Favors is the unsung hero of last night haha his rebounding and put backs were amazing

[@deandrepage1048]

Ricky Rubio SCORING POINTS is unusual. 😂😂😂 BIGGER factor

[@juancarlosdelafuentealejan8832]

More respect for him. Jajaj #madeinspain

[@dlowe9133]

Amazing analysis. Love NBA ... never heard game broken down like this before. Now i see the skill behind harden and that he is constantly able to make great decisions on the fly when a defence is trying to take away every possible avenue.

[@Player_Review]

Will the Rockets win this series? Indications are that they will. Did Jazz defense work against Harden in games 1 and 2? No, he is a talented player and adapted. Did Jazz defense work against Harden in games 3 and 4? Yes, absolutely. Was the defense played against Harden the exact same defense throughout all 4 games? No. Jazz have gotten it together more cohesively and adapted; Harden is a talent and has also adapted. The real question is it too little, too late? Statistics would indicate that it is and play on the court will affirm or dismiss those that believe they already know which team will win the series and if the Rockets, then in how many games. Nobody knows until it happens and both teams will come out hungry, coach versus coach and players versus players. I usually enjoy the insightful analysis on this channel, but this one had some disinformation in my opinion as it lumps all 4 games as being the same defensive approach, when we've actually seen the Jazz evolve the defense on a per-game basis to the point that lumping all the games into this narrow lens lacks the integrity I come to this channel for. This would have been a great video if it had released earlier and was after game 1 or even after game 2. Harden having 8 turnovers in game 3 and going 0-14 in the first half isn't mentioned, nor is Gobert's 7 blocks in that game. Rockets going 0-13 from the 3-point line in quarter 4 of game 4 is also not mentioned (yes, including the topic in discussion, Harden). It seems like either the games were not actually watched or information was left out that is not in line with the confirmation-bias of the breakdown. If taken in that context, then this is valuable analysis for the failures to defend Harden in the first two games of the series and I believe this is how the viewer should interpret it rather than swallowing this as a reliable picture of the series at whole, games 3 and 4 specifically. Though someone that had actually watched the games would recognize that the Jazz have tweaked it each game. It was awkward and poorly executed in the beginning, the players played him more directly in game 2, then in game 3 they were working more as a cohesive unit but recognized that Gobert was still too far forward and that Capela wasn't being kept out so Gobert had to play farther back allowing the floater more routinely to disrupt Capela. In game 4 we saw other players working on Capela to free Gobert to move up more without worrying as much about an alley-oop to Capela along with the cohesiveness on most plays and energy to make the defense work. This video did not mention Harden going 0-14 in the first half of game 3 or Gobert's 7 blocks and Harden's 8 turnovers in game 3. This is a series breakdown largely focused on the first two games when it should be a game by game breakdown focusing on the adjustments outlined and how it has altered those individual games and the discussion geared toward if the defense is becoming better or worse over the series. 30 point blowout, then a 20 point blowout, then a nail biter Jazz loss in the last seconds, then a 16 point Jazz victory. Many variables, but the blanket analysis would have been a good video if focusing on game one or game one and two, but fails as a 4 game analysis.

[@saurabhshahane3707]

Damn you wrote hella long paragraph for this

[@Player_Review]

@@saurabhshahane3707 Indeed and it was a mess

[@pypyhahaaaaaa]

Good pts!

[@Tom-54-54]

Cba to read it

[@GeraltBosMang]

Utah is hard to watch because they lack offensive firepower.

[@ifeellikeyeezus8525]

I love watching Donavan Mitchell... he’s special

[@christophergraves3113]

@@ifeellikeyeezus8525 yeah jacking up shots inefficiently is so special

[@johndavis9321]

@@christophergraves3113 it's better than asking Rubio or gobert to go and get you 30

[@mykellharris1]

I Feel Like Yeezus ikr, and some times he doesn’t show up in the playoffs, but it’s his sophomore season so I don’t understand why he’s getting so much shit. their only in the playoffs cuz he picked up his play, and carried the team🤦🏽‍♂️

[@alejandroserrano7755]

They only have Mitchell. Rubio is streaky and Gobert isn't aggresive enough. Crowder stepped up big in that last game.

[@ruben4180]

Donovan MItchell decided to show up. If only it was a little earlier lol

[@patriiiiiii]

The kid is in his second season maybe he can learn from his mistakes lol

[@PoyntFury]

Been a member for a minute, glad to see you pushing out there a bit more.

[@MissionLog]

One big thing you notice from watching Utah vs watching Milwaukee defend Harden with this method is the positioning of the big men. Not only are they much more reactive for the help defense while being quick/reactive enough to get back to their man, but they're also positioning between Harden and their man, meaning they're clogging the passing lanes. In this case, with the help defense positioned this way Harden has two choices, 1. Shoot the contested layup, 2. Make a difficult pass in through a contested lane with defenders who are anticipating/watching for it, ready to intercept. If the pass is slower and also more predictable that essentially nullifies the over distribution of resources onto Harden as there is a much greater chance of turnovers, and also far more time to get back to their man. There's no point in simply letting Harden get a free drive and dish out to the perimeter, you have to make the pass difficult by being in position to obscure his vision, intercept the pass, clog the lane, and help defense if necessary. You also need a defender on him that can pressure him enough into making mistakes, allowing for easy steals for the bigs.

[@narwhalito]

This game was sick, and I remember you talking about this defense, it was amazing

[@RandyTillman20]

@1:14 that was a huge travel lol 😂

[@eoinodonoghue3894]

No

[@inactiveaccount293]

BBALLBREAKDOWN LETS FUCKING GO BEST NBA VIDEOS

[@wavrain9061]

2:49 Donovan Mitchell flop on flop king James harden passes the flop torch

[@jeb2k828]

James hardens skill came from 2% practice and 98% his beard

[@ramonvicentevallesterosric7802]

there is something there that mesmerize the referees

[@onehevrt]

At 2:43 why did you flip it,it looks like James Harden is right handed lol

[@armedtitanium4390]

Supreme RBX Copyright

[@cnelsonlv999]

The key point that should be discussed is not whether this is a good strategy, but if they are playing it effectively. In Game 4 I felt like they were finally executing it well... especially with the late help by Gobert and others. As you pointed out, most of this series the help rotation has been too late. That is the key to making this strategy work.

[@Dcthetruth85]

Id rather live with PJ Tucker beating me.

[@aaronjohnson6622]

I haven't seen a single game of this series but your point about forcing Harden left is very good. Forcing Harden to his left takes away his step back 3. Let's see if they decide to do this next game

[@NikhilAutar]

Mix it up. Keep him guessing. Start in front, move to behind harden d. That will disrupt him and not him adjust as he has of late.

[@bballbreakdown]

YES

[@realavatarling]

7:51 my man dropping bars 😂

[@LeBeautiful]

They won one game with their methods of stopping Harden. Now the real question is...can they keep it up?

[@jimothyhalpert2379]

Quick answer no. Only person stopping harden is himself (or the bucks or kahwi lol)

[@NM-ev7pu]

@@jimothyhalpert2379 Warriors have a few guys...

[@jimothyhalpert2379]

@@NM-ev7pu Klay yeah

[@NM-ev7pu]

@@jimothyhalpert2379 Klay, Iggy, Draymond, KD, even Curry defended him quite well last year. Not saying he is a Harden stopper, nobody can stop him, but Curry isn't a liability on defense vs Harden.

[@jimothyhalpert2379]

@@NM-ev7pu pretty good point. I don't see anyone stopping the warriors even if they don't have boogie. Bucks have a chance imo

[@remigiochilaule1961]

Just guard him like normal. He might score 50 on a good night but you take away his teammates with plain solid defense. Then he will get tired of all the iso at some point and % will drop. Defense in basketball has been invented a long time ago. Why not just keep it simple and play it tough.

[@stefanlicanin9485]

Utha played rockets last year and they guard him normal, and you can see how much success they had.

[@kevinpan7052]

"play it tough" - play Harden straight up and he'll foul you out in 12 sec

[@Kevinschart]

the best chance they have is if harden has to score all the points and none of his teammates get into a rhythm. if he beats you it's because he's just better. you're not going to coach or strategize yourself to a victory if the guy is simply that much better than you

[@riccardobaccega7091]

At the 6' mark, as noted by Zach Lowe in his last column, that is supposed to be a late switch. Rubio gets beaten by Harden, Gobert steps up to meet Harden, Mitchell abandons strong-side shooter to prevent the lob, Rubio trailing the play is supposed to go immediately to strong side shooter after Harden gets by him.

[@laureandodi28anni66]

He is unguardable period. You have to hope he chucks up shot but even then his teammates will do thei thing

[@evanhager4266]

It's 25. You can't count! wait for the warriors we're gonna shit on his front lawn

[@hoangphu537]

@@evanhager4266 Rockets gonna beat Gsw .Mark my word curry choke lately

[@juancarlosdelafuentealejan8832]

Thank you for the videos! Regards from Spain

[@KD-lx1cr]

Why don’t they use crowder to guard him?

[@alejandroserrano7755]

two slow?

[@bballbreakdown]

That's an interesting question

[@ethian9935]

Hey B-ball breakdown, I would say that the Jazz did not know how to defend him well in the first two games. Once you look at game 3 and 4 their defense was better. But I agree that the Jazz's defense still needs to improve.

[@SekeU85]

Jae Crowder brought it too, scored their first 9 points and had an intense energy about him...

[@michaelhaydenbell]

K.

[@poisonpotato1]

2:51 you mean a jab step and elbow

[@stepankosenko5745]

ThatGuy Man ... that’s how you create separation with your shoulder

[@edmagararu9]

Sup coach nick. Great vid!!

[@teejaytv3821]

The problem was they were playing behind him but were letting him get to the rim and still easily get capela a oop or finish himself now it seems like Hobert is in the paint more and is contesting his shots more

[@neolex24]

2:30 is the key, I’ve been saying it for a long time, is you guard him like that , the stepback is not as confortable for him. But I dont know why nobody has done it!!

[@Captain_NoCAP]

The membership link is not working...

[@sullir9397]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think the jazz had it fully figured out until game 3. Pretty sure harden wasn’t shooting near 50% in the last three games. If you include the first two games where the rockets scored loads more, you get the numbers this guy is talking about. I don’t think it can be argued that the jazz holding the rockets to less than 100pt average in the last 3 games was a pretty huge feat defensively, and it was horrible shooting on the jazz’s part that made the difference. Regardless I don’t think the jazz has what it takes as they are now to win a series against harden and company in a 7 game series even if they had good shooting nights which they didn’t (something I think the rocket’s d should be recognized for).

[@alpacino134]

Just waiting for the OKC vs Portland Game 5 analysis

[@isabellen219]

He already did it, Dame’s on the thumbnail

[@alpacino134]

@@isabellen219 the video came after this comment.

[@isabellen219]

Al pacino oh...ok I clearly didn’t pay attention to when they were uploaded...lol

[@TheNinja143]

With all these ads im getting real good figuring out when it comes out. lmao

[@ai.elijah]

Given how few points the rockets scored over the past three games of the series, (15 points less than their typical points per 100 possessions) I would say the Jazz defense did quite well. Their problem was on the offensive end.

[@littleray3899]

I Tell u good coaching and good technique go a long way😎😎

[@kingrommelllego2483]

no matter what happend as long as harden has strong teamates like in 2018 rockets and u dont injure him... you cant guard him no matter what techniqe u used

[@SolaceMcfly]

They took away the lobs to capela, they let the role players get cold, and they got into james head they let him drive either he gets blocked or doesn't get his usual foul calls.

[@kingpatrickjessonylarde5730]

Coach are you going to make a breakdown about the Trail Blazers and Thunder series?

[@honeyfro2615]

Ad transition was kinda weak Coach. Cmon its playoff basketball, gotta bring your A game.

[@Checkers_or_Wreckers]

At 2:00 you can see Rudy Gobert touched the ball while his foot was partially out of bounds.

[@maxfirefantasyreport]

great vid, thanks! All their accomplishing with this terrible strategy, is putting more pressure on their defense then was already there. I mean, if your going to give the guy a path to the rim and sit on his 3 point shot, at least sit on the side with the hand he shoots the ball with so you have a chance at altering it. Mind blowing that an nba coach deployed this strategy. ..and the "jab step" is really an elbow to the defenders chest, then step back 3.

[@kcutah]

The Jazz were actually able to get a travel called on Harden with their defense in game 4. As others have commented, Game 3 & 4 are better representations of the defensive plan.

[@iPyroNigma]

Coach Nick, I thought that the idea was right, but the execution has been incredibly flawed. Rubio and others, have been trying to force Harden right. However, at the same time they either play him too frontal (game 1 and 2) or they try to keep up with him when playing him side by side. The idea behind forcing him right, is to completely eliminate the left, thus making him drive. He shouldn't be able to "jab" you out of position and stepback; since you shouldn't be reacting to any attempt of going left and since he shouldn't be able to push you off with contact either, then you have a pretty good block at the stepback. Once the drive starts, they are suppose to stay right behind Harden; while their center shouldn't commit all the way. If Golbert fully commits, Harden lobs. He must stay in a middle ground, to force a contested floater or a pass to the open man, which the rest of the team should cover. Rubio has been playing this strategy inconsistenly, Rudy has commited every single time, and the team hasn't made the right rotations during kick-outs.

[@ammonquitalig9077]

yup, thats what i was thinking too..all these stepbacks all the while, harden is pushing off defenders

[@Shinobi6407]

I was at the game when the Bucks came to Houston. Their defense on Harden seemed to work as they got the win.

[@akshaysubramaniam9702]

Great vid!

[@dimkilago2958]

It's the same scheme Bucks used.But Bucks have the best defensive point guard in the league(Bledsoe),the best player in close outs(Giannis) and a rim protector in the level of Gobert who has become a master to drive guard in midrange shots and contest them and the same time to recover his position and play defense the center(Bucks play a type of zone defense all season).I pray Bucks find Rockets in the finals...

[@ponypower8]

Thing is things like this are a lot easier said than done. Harden and D'Antoni are of course not just going to sit in one corner and anticipate this and make their own adjustments. As I said, from the outside looking in, it's easy to say this and that. But the truth is things like this are a lot easier said than done. Otherwsie, people would have figure out by now how to shut down superscorers like LBJ, KD, Steph, Kyrie and the list goes on and on.

[@powerfusev2]

Sitting on his left shoulder invites the step back to the right, which is exactly what he wants. I don’t understand why people think this is a good idea. Yeah, the bucks won ONE GAME doing this - not to mention Harden had a big game anyways

[@mackiechang]

"james hardens skills didn't appear overnight" @4:44 james harden travels x'D

[@HeathBilbrey]

Clearly you are unaware of 0 step. Watch some of Coach Nick's videos on Harden's step back.

[@krupan]

@@HeathBilbrey even with a 0 step that's 3 steps. Watch it in slow mo

[@HeathBilbrey]

@@krupan No it's not because you cannot see when he gathers the ball. You just want it to be because you hate Harden. The ref was standing right there and gets paid to make those calls.

[@goranperic3693]

coach call me crazy , but i would actually stay on his right hand and not left. Ive looked at film and he usually steps back going to his right and not left. The few times he has a stepback going to his left it looked awkward. regardless what a lethal move, i wonder who helped him come up with it .

[@CYCYonWIFi]

Man harden is so unique that coach had to create a new defense for him. It is working, the amount of 3s he took through the series is alot lower than he would like. Plus he can pass, OMG the beard is truly amazing

[@ToneRetroGaming]

Snyder didn't create it. The Bucks defended him the same way during the reg season, but with better success. The difference is they have more athletic and better defenders.

[@iPyroNigma]

Plus, Rubio usually did this during his Euro play against lefty players. But, I agree with Tone.

[@freddyfox5002]

Maybe it can have an effect with a great defender like Bledsoe But not with Ricky Rubio

[@rikblauer]

The only way to stop Rockets is using brave and athletic players like Simmons, Giannis or another one. It doesn't matter whatever Utah does, Harden always finds the way to score or assistant his teammates.

[@MalcomNotTCG]

I think the goal of being on the left side is to be by the shooting hand to contest

[@jon8348]

Coach, how much contact will the NBA allow Harden to get away with when he does push off before a shot? A few of those shoves really looked like excessive contact and I haven't seen one of them get called for an offensive foul.

[@kenthemaster]

7:50 Team Rocket(s) blasting off at the speed of light...

[@jonahware5396]

The fact that they are giving him a drive to the basket vs staying in front of him is beyond me! If your going to help off guys in the corner why don't they throw double teams at him and make sure your guys are on the rotations.. force PJ tucker to make every shot he's given

[@devn266]

We found out to guard harden you just have to half court trap him and force him to pass the ball so he can't play around with it.. They beat him that way. & they did it without Klay, Steph, or Iguodala 3/4 of their top defenders were out. Steph was an iffy defender but he's actually gotten alot better on D since him and Klay switch defensive assignments.

[@kingchris613]

There was a video I saw where the bucks are the only team to be able to defend this, and the jazz had mistakes on how to guard them

[@sarinunez4013]

Pls what is the music

[@TheJeffreygu]

At least two Harden's classic travels in this video. How can you stop a traveller? Steal his passport?

[@Comoesa]

I can't wait for the 2nd round to start.

[@keithgriffiths4643]

Look at Harden's stats from games 3, 4 and 5. Season Avg. 36pts, REB 6.6, AST 7.5, FG 44%, 3P% 36%, FT 11, Efficiency rating 114.8 Game 3 22pts, REB 4, AST 10, FG 15%, 3P% 15%, FT 16 Game 4 30pts, REB 3, AST 4, FG 42%, 3P% 50%, FT 8 Game 5 26pts, REB 6, AST 6, FG 38%, 3P% 25%, FT 5 Avg 3-5 26pts, REB 4, AST 6, FG 31%, 3P% 30%, FT 9, Efficiency rating 100.3 WOW! (NBA Worst 2019 New York Knicks - 102.1) -10pts avg -2 REB avg -13% FG avg -6% 3P% avg -2 FT avg -14.8 Efficency avg I think "Coach" is seeing what he wants to see. The Jazz offense or Rockets defense is the reason the Rockets won this series. You could see and the numbers tell the story, as the Jazz got more and more practice the Rockets offensive efficiency dropped like a rock. Only a couple of teams can play this strategy as it requires an athletic "paint protector". Milwaukee is probably best suited.

[@cnelsonlv999]

I wish we would get a chance to see the Bucks play the Rockets in a 7 game series, to really get an idea how the strategy they implemented would work... but that seems highly unlikely.

[@torchsports8911]

As a fan of the Rockets I have watch almost all of the games. If James isn't hitting his shots than yes you can easily beat the Rockets. But more times than not in the regular season he starts hot and you have no other options than to play straight up which is what he wants. This is the best way to guard him period. Any other way and he WILL destroy your team over a 7 game series. I believe this speaks to his greatness. No one saw more complex defenses then Harden this season. I have seen some of the most extreme coverages you can attempt.

[@therealdonaldtrump1646]

no it speaks to his travels and the refs allowing him to flop. James Harden is NOT this special offensive talent.

[@EndOfTheDemocrats]

The Real Donald Trump harden> curry Darkskin> lightskin

[@alonherscovici-simmons1354]

Great vid

[@ThePrufessa]

4:57 I guess we now know that pilgrim failed since MK has left the badlands and is now learning to be a point guard.

[@danielsudbury9165]

I think your opinion would have been a lot different if the jazz could have made their open threes. But overall, it was a good video.

[@sasorin]

1:41 this dude missed a 2k shot celebration 🤣🤣🤣

[@ikillerz_uya8664]

I dont see it

[@jvostudio]

Wasnt it possible to draw a shooting foul when the defender is at the rear?

[@Fantsmacle]

It doesn't help that the Jazz are taking the most high percentage shots in the playoffs and are shooting far below where they should be shooting. They shoot a league average this would be 2-2 at least.

[@grgkev9166]

I was waiting when you or maybe kobe were gonna do a video on this. Rubio looks ridiculous 😂😂🤣

[@davezedman]

Maybe it won't work for Utah in this series, but could it work in the playoffs for another, team against Harden?

[@nathanoppong6492]

from 4:45 to 4:48 he travelled

[@King-qv2yy]

No one can stop Harden it’s extremely unlikely, but you can do this and hope for the best

[@nikagogibedashvili6476]

There are several layers to this: Utah does not have as much success with this strategy as Bucks did; Bucks did organize their whole defense around this drives and prioritize it much more than Utah does right now. And they could live with the outcome since they could actually answer it with an effective offense which Utah can't; Even though Utah is 3-1 behind with this strategy, I don't imagine they would have had more success with any of the different strategies, since Rockets are just genuinely better team.

[@fushumang1716]

Game 3 defense is a lot closer to the Bucks way, though they still lost. Game 4 showed that they need Mitchell and Rubio to score a buch to win. Game 5, Jazz will be eating dust

[@et9953]

They r not being crazy ..... they r just being realistic ! We all know how refs treat rockets differently than the rest of the league, esp Harden. What Jazz doing is just being realistic, avoid body contact and increase two end ( 3 pt line & basket) defense efficiency. ($$ ball theory) This is the only way to stop the unfair calls, when u r not really way better than ur opponent. It’s that easy .... no “rockets science” .

[@dostokarambas5549]

Harden travels all the time...

[@texchu8331]

Travel is part of being an NBA player.

[@rumbajuice]

Make him beat you. This is the playoffs, Harden's nemesis.

[@johnyreyes3567]

Bullshit. Rockets have made mostly consistent deep playoff runs that last 5 years. W Harden leading the way

[@youngeddo3447]

This only worked when Harden gets destroyed on the floater by Gobert.. if he had to contest with less contact this strategy wouldn’t be effective.. Harden has 4 options once they funnel him to rim.. this only works because Harden is now hesitating when he tries the floater

[@obamaiscool4892]

What are playoffs rules?

[@quennygreen]

Not the Jazz. Just Marco Rubio. The dude straight up GOES BEHIND JAMES and completely misses the point of being beside him.

[@tajmirb.8979]

2:45 watching Harden shoot w/ his right hand was weird 😂😂

[@EA-ps4wc]

He almost made it too

[@krupan]

For some reason it's reverse video, pause it and try and read the score :-)

[@renzorey2049]

why dont he use that euro step move? it's his first signature move that makes him my fav. nba player

[@jordancummings4639]

How differently would we view this series if Utah had won game 3? Couldn't hit the broad side of a barn that game and still almost pulled out the win. Hats off to Houston, they absolutely crushed Utah in games 1 and 2.

[@MrZpilot]

Houston was playing worst than utah in game 3.

[@jordancummings4639]

@@MrZpilot that's exactly my point. Utah played better and executed better, but because they couldn't hit an open shot to save their lives, they went down 3-0 instead of making it 2-1

[@gandydancer637]

@4:45 "James Harden's skills didn't appear overnight." That's not a "skill". It's a travel. What's with the tippy-toe dance? You teach this?