How Kawhi Leonard compares to the Golden State Warriors greatest foes
By Tony Pesta
5. James Harden
A familiar foe checks in at number five. James Harden has been competing with the Golden State Warriors since their run first began in 2015. A Western Conference showdown in this season began their rivalry and it has been a staple in the NBA ever since.
Harden is known for his blunders in the postseason. However, despite popular belief, he has always shown up big against the Warriors. In his 23 career playoff games versus the Dubs, Harden has scored 40+ three times and 30+ in more than half. His worst game came in their first meeting when Harden scored just 14 points and had an NBA Playoff record 12 turnovers.
Outside of that one mishap, Harden has been mostly great against the Warriors. Sadly, it hasn’t accumulated too much. With an overall record of 7-16, Harden has been defeated a total of four times by the Warriors and has only forced them into facing elimination once. So even though he always manages to put up respectable individual numbers, he hasn’t proven to be much of a threat.