Harden gets last laugh as Rockets hold off Thunder in Game 7
James Harden got his revenge on Luguentz Dort.
Harden had the final word defensively on the Oklahoma City Thunder's undrafted rookie, who at times put the clamps on the star guard in the seven-game series.
Harden's flying block on Dort's 3-point attempt with 4.8 seconds remaining in Game 7 helped the Houston Rockets secure Wednesday's 104-102 win and a second-round date with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The three-time scoring champion was then whistled for a questionable off-ball foul, putting the Thunder's Danilo Gallinari on the line for a shot while down by two. Houston hung on for the win with Gallinari's miss.
Harden was frequently harassed throughout the contest by Dort, who fought through a myriad of screens and contested him one-on-one. Harden finished Game 7 with 17 points on 4-of-15 shooting and five turnovers and appeared headed for another narrative of choking in big games.
The 31-year-old has now shot 34% with a combined 17 turnovers in his last three playoff Game 7s, although two of those were victories.
While Harden struggled, Robert Covington, Eric Gordon, and Russell Westbrook combined for 62 points, with Covington going 6-of-11 from deep.
Conversely, Dort saved his best performance for the final game of the series in a losing cause. The 21-year-old Canadian defensive specialist led the Thunder with a career-high 30 points. While the offensively challenged swingman was often left unguarded in the corner, he capitalized Wednesday night, going 6-of-12 from deep.
Chris Paul also logged a triple-double for OKC, with 19 points, 12 assists, and 11 rebounds.
The Rockets now prepare for their series versus the Lakers, beginning Friday.