The 1st round of the 2017 NBA playoffs has been filled with drama, excitement and a few interesting and close games. One of the most largely hyped series of the bunch is the one between two MVP candidates and their teams, in Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder against James Harden and the Houston Rockets.The Rockets opened up as the fairly large favorites to get the job done and advance to round two, and on Sunday night, we all saw why. Harden and the Rockets outdid the Thunder in impressive fashion by a score of 118-87, a massive margin for a playoff game. To go along with that, Harden also outdid his counterpart in Westbrook, tallying 37 points, nine assists and seven rebounds. This is compared to the 22 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists that Westbrook posted.It’s widely known that Harden and Westbrook are long-time friends, and how close they were was on full display during the 2017 NBA All-Star game. But for the time being, and for the sake of the NBA playoffs, the two superstars have decided that they’re going to put the friendship on hold for a few games, according to David Aldridge of TNT and the network’s official Twitter account.

While it’s tough to envision two friends who are that close opting not to speak at all, it’s probably better for both of their teams. The emotions simply have to be put to the side when the stakes get to this level. It’s not a surprise, and if we saw the Cleveland Cavaliers playing the Chicago Bulls, it’s a safe bet that LeBron James and Dwyane Wade wouldn’t be doing a whole lot of talking either.

Some have said that this playoff matchup between Westbrook and Harden could decide who wins the NBA’s MVP award, but for these two games, there’s much more on the line than just that. Both players are capable of putting the team on their back and making serious runs in the playoffs. While the Rockets seemed more well-equipped, whoever the winner winds up playing in the second round certainly won’t be thrilled about the matchup.

Game 1 may have been a blowout in favor of the Rockets, but don’t think for a second that Russ and company won’t be back looking to get their revenge in Game 2 while attempting to steal home court advantage.