Thunder beats Rockets in James Harden's return

And by the time the Thunder took the court and stared across at James Harden, once a friend but now a foe who wore Rockets red rather than Thunder blue, we knew it was on.

“The pride gets in,” said Thabo Sefolosha, “and definitely you don't want to be the one where he scores 30 against you.”

Harden never came close to that output in his highly anticipated homecoming, which turned into a message-sending 120-98 Thunder thumping.

From the opening tip, the Thunder smothered Harden as he returned to Oklahoma City for the first time since being traded to Houston last month in the wake of failed talks on a contract extension. The first draft pick in Oklahoma City Thunder history, who in three years blossomed into the league's best player off the bench, labored through a nightmarish 17-point performance that saw him go 3-for-16 from the field. It was his worst shooting display this season in any game in which he's attempted at least 10 shots.

Harden had erupted for at least 30 points four times in his first 14 games. But his one-man tour was stopped in its tracks the moment it pulled into Chesapeake Energy Arena.

“We guarded him well,” said Nick Collison. “We didn't give him a lot of easy ones. Also, we kept pursuing him. Even when he would get into the paint we kept pursuing him and made a couple of those paint shots a little more difficult.”

Armed with more knowledge of Harden's strengths than anyone, the Thunder dialed in on every available nugget and used them all to its advantage. What unfolded was a swarming defense reminiscent of the one Miami used to bottle up Harden and eliminate his effectiveness in his preferred high and side pick-and-rolls.