arden didn't have an opening statement so much as a sustained one. He moved the curve by inches in the first quarter — a clean look here, a contested stop there — and let the game come to him.
The second quarter is where it broke open — a single possession (+4.9). From that possession on, the curve never had to be rebuilt the same way twice.
The fourth was control. Harden closed at +16.8 without needing a final flourish to get there.
Key moments