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HOUSTON – The moments left Warriors forward Kevon Looney feeling all alone. He could not receive any help. So all he could do was rely on his confidence, instincts and preparation.
Is that enough to stop Houston guard James Harden? Not really. In the Warriors’ 119-106 Game 1 victory over the Rockets on Monday, Harden posted 41 points on 14-of-24 shooting. Yet, Looney showed what he has provided throughout his third NBA season to stop Harden’s big night from becoming even bigger: steady effort, disciplined play and strong awareness of player tendencies.
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“I’ve been out there before. I was expecting it and wanted to take on the challenge,” Looney said. “That wasn’t the first time they tried to iso me. He’s probably the best iso player. It’s a little different and a little tougher. But you know he’s going to make shots. You know you can’t stop him. So you want to make him work and don’t foul.”
And in that respect, the Warriors considered Looney’s defense on Harden to be successful. Looney avoided picking up any fouls. He often disrupted Harden’s driving lanes. He often inhibited Harden from launching a 3-pointer. And most importantly, Looney’s defense contributed to the Warriors’ team-wide success in ensuring no one else on the Rockets carried Harden’s heavy burden.
“Looney’s out there for a reason,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “He’s an excellent one-on one defender. He’s got great length. It’s not easy scoring on him whether at the rim or on the perimeter.”
Looney’s qualities prevented Harden from increasing his 41-point output into something even more devastating.
On one possession, Looney’s tight defense forced Harden to pass to Chris Paul for a contested jump shot. The same thing happened when Harden drove into the lane only to pass to Ryan Anderson, who bricked a 3-point attempt.
On another play, Harden drove past Looney only to shoot a contested layup that bounced off the backboard. On a different play, Harden tried to throw Looney off balance superb ball handling and footwork. Yet, Looney stayed with Harden, who then passed the ball. Moments later, Harden threw up a contested 3-pointer.
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“A lot of times he’s going to shoot the 3, but you can’t really press up on him because he’s going to go around you,” Looney said of Harden. “You really have to pick your poison. If he’s got it going like he has [in Game 1], you have to make him work a little bit harder. But he’s able to get to the basket.”
Harden got to the basket often and went 9-of-15 from inside the perimeter. He also shot from 3-point range and went 5-of-9. The Warriors reluctantly lived with the Rockets’ iso-ball dominance so long as no one else contributed. The Warriors, meanwhile, relied on Kevin Durant to counter with 37 points, while also leaning on Klay Thompson (28 points) and Stephen Curry (18) to make open shots.
“There were no easy ones for him besides two or three [shots],” Looney said of Harden. “But he’s a shot maker and that’s what he does. He loves those type of shots. The shots you want him to take, he wants to take, too. You have to live with it sometimes.”
The Warriors lived with it, thanks to Looney’s presence.
Once Warriors forward Andre Iguodala collected his second foul with 8:10 left in the first quarter, Looney subbed in and played for the rest of the first quarter. Though Looney remained scoreless, did not shoot any shots or grab any rebounds, he provided value elsewhere. He recorded a team-leading +7 in plus-minus. After Harden posted nine points on 3-of-3 shooting before Looney subbed in, Harden scored only three points on 1-of-4 shooting for the remainder of the first period.
“He’s really smart and sees the game. He understands it and understands tendencies,” Kerr said of Looney. “He doesn’t bite on pump fakes. He understands he can bother people and challenge them without fouling. That’s a valuable trait.”
Looney developed that valuable trait during his third NBA season through various ways.
The 6-foot-9, 220-pound Looney lost 30 pounds entering training camp stemmed from offseason workouts at UCLA and a revamped diet that substituted protein and vegetables over fried foods. Looney has stayed healthy after only playing a combined 58 games through his first two NBA seasons because of hip injuries. Looney has consulted with Warriors assistants coach Ron Adams and Chris DeMarco about perfecting his foot positioning. He has talked with Warriors forwards Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala on how to switch properly. He talked with the Warriors’ Zaza Pachulia, David West and Iguodala anytime he was on the bench in Game 1.
“When approaching the small things, you have to know, ‘If I do my job, it’s going to make the job easier for everybody else,'” Looney said. “It’s going to make it easier for KD, Steph, Draymond and Andre. You don’t want to be the weak link out there. You got to be able to do small things to contribute to this team. You know you got great scorers and great assist men. So for the guys coming off the bench, it’s about making an impact on the game.”
And beyond the Warriors’ star-studded offensive depth, Looney provided just as valuable impact. He helped the Warriors’ absorb Iguodala’s early foul trouble. He helped the Warriors maintain defensive intensity. And he slowed down Harden’s quest to carry the Rockets by himself.
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