Reportedly, Houston Rockets’ big man, Russell Westbrook won’t be making it to Game 1 of the upcoming playoffs against Thunder. James Harden has to take his team through the start of the postseason which has hovered concerns over fans about their winning possibilities.

Westbrook tested positive before the season’s resumption and the team felt his absence. Moreover, even after his arrival in the bubble his strained quadriceps have benched him in half the games. Despite this injury to one of the pillars of the team, Harden and Co. marked a 4-3 winning record in Orlando.

Well, now they are comfortably placed at the fourth seed in the West and the Oklahoma City Thunder are just behind them.

Westbrook was expected to complete the Rockets lineup in the playoffs after considerable rest, but it seems like he’s missing the first Thunder game as well. While most analysts and fans expressed their concerns over the star’s absence, James Harden looks extremely fearless about it. He isn’t worried about their next best player not being there on the court against Thunder.

Harden recently portrayed the same attitude in a comment to The Athletic as well, saying, “For me, nothing changes no matter who’s on the court.”

Harden is having a good time while Russell Westbrook is practicing

Recently, Ben DuBose tweeted a thread of videos where Russell is busy shooting three-pointers and Harden is having the time of his life. The latter was seen making some dance moves on the court as nothing bothers him without a piece of his puzzle.

Why that confidence from the Houston Rockets though?

Well, that confuses most people as to what is happening with the Rockets. It appears to be a psychological win for the Rockets as the postseason comes near.

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They will lock horns against Chris Paul and Thunder in a few days and it’s a big night for the two teams. After their respective point guards were exchanged, things have been intense between both franchises. But amidst all this pressure, Harden says, “We’re a really dangerous team.”

Some games are won off the court and the psychology of the player plays a key role in any contest. Looks like this is the Rockets’ plan to overpower Thunder way before the match.

Since Houston Rockets will be missing one of their offensive powerhouses, it may appear to be a half-strength team to the opponents. In Westbrook’s absence, Rockets did manage a decent winning score in the bubble with the likes of Eric Gordon, Danuel House, P.J. Tucker, Robert Covington, and others.

Austin Rivers also stepped up in the game against Sacramento Kings with a career-high 41 points. More importantly, the team has worked on its defensive abilities in the recent past that is taking them towards an overall package.

Oklahoma City Thunder are geared up for the postseason

Harden probably knows that they can’t take Thunder lightly and this is just a mind-game strategy. Steven Adams could rip through the small-ball game by Rockets. Chris Paul has also been impressive after season restart which makes their top two strong to get started.

Thunder’s bench strength and lineup depth will also be a major positive for them

We will have to wait to see what happens when the Rockets take over the Thunder. Will the psychological play work on Thunder and the rest of the Western Conference?