Harden hails Paul's record-setting night
James Harden hailed the impact of Chris Paul as he led the Houston Rockets to victory over the Utah Jazz, sealing the series 4-1.
Chris Paul had a record-setting night as the Houston Rockets advanced to the Western Conference finals, and James Harden acknowledges the point guard carried his team on Tuesday.
Paul ended the night with 41 points, ten assists and zero turnovers, becoming the first player to do so since turnovers became an official statistic in 1977.
And the Rockets' superstar shooting guard Harden heaped praise on his influential team-mate.
"He went out there and took over the game," said Harden, who finished with 18 points, going 7-22 from the field.
"He put us all on his back and said, 'Listen, I got us.' That's big time right there. That's a big-time performance."
As a consequence of that impact, Paul will be heading to the first Conference Finals series appearance of his 12-year career.
And Harden knows the prospect of securing a clash with the Golden State Warriors may have been a powerful motivating factor for Paul.
"Especially for an opportunity he's never had, he went to go get it," said Harden.
"He said, 'You get out the way, I'm going to put us on my back.' He had that look in his eye."
The Rockets dismantled the Utah Jazz 112-102 to complete their series victory 4-1.
Houston will now face off against the Warriors, who dispatched the New Orleans Pelicans with a 4-1 series win.