Game 1 Harden sensational once again, Rockets take opener vs. Lakers

Something about James Harden and Game 1's.

Though he got plenty of help from his co-star and others, Harden was the driving force behind the Rockets' Game 1 upset win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night, dropping 36 points on the way to a 112-97 win against the number one seed in the west.

Harden wasted no time getting his early buckets. He went 4-7 to secure himself 12 quick points in eight minutes, easily pacing the team in the first quarter. Similar to Game 1 against the Thunder, Los Angeles simply couldn't find a way to contain Harden.

It was the opposite for the Lakers in the first -- L.A. had eight different players record a basket in the opening quarter. LeBron went a perfect 3-3 in the first, but his team found themselves down at the conclusion at the first, 29-28. Both Houston and L.A. shot 55% from the field, while Houston managed to hit only one more three than the Lakers. The team went 4-7 from three early on.

That number was pushed to six after Austin Rivers came out providing a spark off the bench, depositing two quick threes early.

Harden continued on his torrid scoring pace, adding 13 more points in the second quarter to bring his total up to 25 in the first half. Westbrook got in on the action as well, going for 11 points, three rebounds and three assists in the first half. LeBron and Anthony Davis raised their scoring totals to 13 and 10 respectively, but Houston dropped a 34 spot in the second quarter to push the lead to 63-55 at the half.

Houston totaled nine threes at the midway point, shooting 43% through two. They shot 51% from the floor, with 12 added free throws. Harden had nine of them.

The scoring slowed down a bit in the third quarter, but Westbrook and Harden added six points each, scoring 12 of the team's 22 points in the period. Their defensive intensity held as well, helping to maintain their lead heading into the final quarter of Game 1.

That was when the team came together for one of their best quarters in the entire playoffs. Houston kept L.A.'s stars thoroughly in check throughout the fourth -- Anthony Davis didn't score until there were five minutes in the quarter, and LeBron James didn't score at all, going 0-3 in the final frame.

That helped the Rockets propel themselves to a commanding lead in the fourth quarter. Eric Gordon got nine quick points to push the lead to twelve with just under two minutes played.

Then it was Westbrook who nailed a three pointer in isolation to balloon the lead to 15. His intensity was clearly evident as he seemed to want all the smoke from anyone who wanted to give it.

That was all she wrote for the contest, as that lead would hold itself for the remainder of the game en route to Houston's big Game 1 win. Harden put a cap on the win with his 36th point on the night via a three-pointer.

Houston takes a 1-0 lead in the series with the win. In addition to Harden's outstanding performance, Russell Westbrook went for 24 points, nine rebounds, and six assists in 32 minutes, seeming to get back into rhythm. Eric Gordon had a productive 23 on 50% shooting. Houston had 41 rebounds on the night, the exact same as the Lakers.

Game 2 will be on Sunday evening at 7:30 PM CT, with the Rockets looking to take a big 2-0 lead on the Lakers.