NBA playoffs: James Harden speaks after Houston Rockets’ record-breaking shooting woes
HOUSTON ROCKETS guard James Harden hinted at his frustration with the officiating as his side were eliminated from championship contention in last night’s Game 7 of the Western Conference playoff finals against the Golden State Warriors.
The MVP favourite suggested his Rockets side did not get the rub of the green from the referees at the Toyota Center – a sentiment that was echoed by both fans and players watching the game at home.
New Orleans Pelicans centre DeMarcus Cousins tweeted “The zebras are on the run!” – a reference to the officals’ uniform – while Brooklyn Nets guard Jeremy Lin added “As objectively as I can be, the Warriors are probably still the better team but the refs are definitely helping them.”
Speaking to reporters after the game, a dejected Harden was asked about the Rockets’ unwanted record-breaking shooting night, during which the normally free-scoring team missed an incredible 27 three-point efforts in a row.
“We had a lot of open shots. I think we competed the best we can, give them credit they made tough shots,” Harden said.
“A couple of calls just weren’t right.”
The Rockets, who ended the regular season as first seed in the West, finished the night on 7-for-44 from behind the arc as defending champions Golden State seized their opportunity to clinch a vital win on the road.
Harden suggested the margin between victory and defeat came down to “one half of basketball” as the Warriors booked their place in the NBA Finals for the fourth straight year.
“Two games,” he continued.
“Game 6 and 7. Two games of basketball we just didn’t have the same energy that we had in that first half.
“No pace. It’s extremely frustrating.
“We had opportunities. A lot of opportunities – even in that fourth quarter. We had three opportunities that were open that just didn’t go down.”