Jazz try to slow Harden in Game 2 after Game 1 rout

HOUSTON — No one on the Utah Jazz is using the word “stop” when referring to what they’ll try to do to James Harden in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals on Wednesday night after the Houston Rockets’ star scored 41 points in a Game 1 rout.

They’re simply searching for ways to slow him down a bit after he’s averaged almost 36 points a game in five meetings this season.

“He is a (heck) of a player so it’s going to be tough, but we feel like we can just try to make it a bit tough on him for the whole (time) he’s out there,” Utah’s Joe Ingles said.

Harden made seven 3-pointers in Game 1, leaving the Jazz focused on limiting him from long range.

“Just make him a driver,” rookie Donovan Mitchell said. “He loves getting back to that 3. They got comfortable in the first half and they went up 30. So just being able to make them uncomfortable and not let them dictate what we do on defense. Make sure we dictate what they do.”

Coach Mike D’Antoni isn’t concerned about anything that the Jazz might throw at Harden on Wednesday and believes the only thing that can keep Harden from a big game is, well, Harden.

“There’s no answer. He’s seen it all,” D’Antoni said. “Now, he might play bad and that’s because he’s human. But there’s nothing that you can conceivably come up with that can stop one of the best offensive players ever.”

Harden led the NBA in scoring in the regular season by averaging a career-high 30.4 points a game and ranks second behind LeBron James this postseason with 31 points a game.

Houston’s Trevor Ariza, a player known for his defense, has the task of guarding Mitchell in this series. He was asked what he would try if he had to guard Harden. There was a long pause before Ariza let out a loud sigh and said with a laugh: “I’d figure out a way to slow him down.”