West Conf. Finals Game 2: Golden State Warriors 105-127 Houston Rockets - Rockets' Player Ratings

James Harden - 9/10

Harden beats Curry off the dribble and lays it in

Stat line: 27 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 9-of-24 (37.5% fg), 3-of-15 (20% 3-pt)

Harden had more dribbles during game 1 than Curry, Klay, and Durant combined - 550 of them. Like his teammate Chris Paul, The Beard let go of the ball-hoarding that plagued the Rockets' offensive flow in Game 1 and nearly always made the most efficient play in this outing.

Harden was well-nigh unstoppable off the dribble, converting some gorgeous layups while also earning 6 free throws - he knocked down all 6 of them. He set the tone offensively for the Rockets, as he is wont to in most games. He kept the ball moving except on the occasions that he didn't have an elite defender guarding him.

Harden's night was slightly marred, however, by his inefficient 3-point stroke on the night - he converted only 3 of his 15 attempts from downtown. Barring this, however, he was as good as you would expect him to be. We are yet to see an MVP-level performance from him this series, but this game was a step in the right direction from the MVP favorite for this season.