https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/...l-and-james-harden-fell-apart-late-in-game-5/ "They probably got tired, we just couldn't quite push it," D'Antoni said. "We had a lot of opportunities in those last three minutes to go in the game, knocked down a couple of threes, had good shots but just couldn't make a big play by that point. You know, it was hard fought. We played as hard as we could and we had our chances to win, so be it." Harden blamed the Rockets' inability to get stops, saying offensive rebounds for the Spurs gave them baskets and messed with the Rockets' pace. But tempo is different from pace. Tempo is about the way you play, the way you move and the urgency you play with. The Rockets didn't have pace because of rebounds Tuesday. They didn't have pace because they looked out of gas. It's easy to blame the seven-man rotation Mike D'Antoni has gone to, predictably given his history. But the only man out was Nene and Clint Capela was fresh. There are no other guards to turn to, no other wings outside of Sam Dekker, who might not be ready for this moment. It presents an issue, though. The Rockets are tired, and playing a short rotation, and need to play fast with energy. http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/time-harden-embrace-rest-running-gas/story?id=47375178 Harden was running on empty, gassed from a grueling regular season. As LeBron James and the Spurs employed resting strategies throughout the regular season, Harden made headlines by denouncing the concept of resting. "I'm a hooper," Harden said. "I just want to hoop. I'll rest when I'm done. I feel like my teammates and organization need me to go out there and do what I do." And when a reporter followed up and asked Harden if Mike D'Antoni would try to sit him and save energy for the playoffs, Harden replied, "Mike knows not to come at me with that." Before winning the 2014 Finals MVP, Kawhi Leonard ranked 138th in minutes played during the regular season. Andre Iguodala spent the regular season coming off the bench before nabbing the 2015 Finals MVP. Before his brilliant 2016 Finals manifesto, LeBron James enjoyed 19 extra days off in the playoffs as a result of sweeping early-round opponents, while the Warriors labored through injuries and a grueling seven-game marathon against the OKC Thunder. Let's also not forget the Warriors decided to chase 73 wins that season instead of resting down the stretch. This is the whole point of resting during the regular season. Popovich has regularly sat his stars to both prevent injury and give his second unit plenty of opportunity to thrive and gain chemistry. The Rockets could point to a Nene injury as an excuse, but that strains credibility when you consider the Spurs played without starters Tony Parker and Leonard in Game 6. The Spurs' reserves stepped up to the challenge because Popovich asked them to step up eight times before in the regular season when he sat Leonard. Harden dazzled audiences in the regular season. But in the end, the human body in today's NBA can only handle so much. No, Harden wasn't "drugged" in Game 6. But the idea that strategic rest is the enemy -- not a friend -- sure can be intoxicating for hoopers like Harden.
strip clubs and partying dude, JH quit that last game and thats all there is to it. No excuses I've already heard them all.. 'he was tired'.. 'he had the flu' etc.. James Harden quit that last game.. I still have hope though, I don't think he can pull that stuff with CP on the team.
People quit all the time. If you've never quit in your entire life you should be a billionaire by now and accomplished every single goal you could think off. Either that or you'd die of stress. Lots of posters here surf the net while at work or at school or something, that's quitting on your job as an employee or a student because you are slacking off like what Harden did during the game. Overweight? Well you quit on your health by indulging in too much food and quitting on your exercise. Not going to Church every Sunday? How dare you quit on yoir faith, you quitter?!?! I'm so ****ing tired of hypocrites holding these athletes to standards they themselves don't follow.
Fill the tank up now and put the car on eco mode. Also think about switching to hybrid or full electric. Maybe then he won't run out of gas. Harden needs a tesla
I hope Harden filled his tank up before the storm because gas here in Houston seems to be getting more expensive by the day. I buy the low octane stuff too, from the cheapest Valero in my area.
finally a legit excuse. im tired of using the evil twin or the strip club or illuminati sacrifice. i need a real excuse for game 6 and i finally got it.
No excuses for what happened in game 6, even if he was tired, which I think he was, you gotta put up a better effort than that. Glad he has someone to help shoulder the load throughout the long regular season though.
I have a med degree and also started a company that has hired members of this very board. Not a 'billionaire, but maybe one day? Either way, pretty satisfied with progress towards my goals and the effort I put in daily while maintaining my sanity. What a stupid analogy though. 'Surfing the net' at school/work is more akin to Harden not giving 100% effort in practice. Refusing to give effort on your school tests(basically just coloring in circles on that scantron)/work presentation is akin to Harden quitting in the actual game when things count. Let me ask Hakeem if he was 'exhausted', even throughout ramadan Let me ask Jordan if he was 'exhausted', even with severe temp I'm sure they were, but they had the extra gear Harden seems to not have come playoff time Come game 6 Harden was more like the Rockets Scottie Pippen. Dude had the energy to party hard the night after giving zero effort in a do or die game. Ariza who played many minutes in the season, working hard, guarding the opposing teams best all season gave full effort. It's pathetic to see others trying to find and grasp an 'excuse'.. what he displayed was inexcusable. I love Harden on our team, I'm still a fan, I still believe in our squad because there is always a thing called 'redemption' and he has the talent.. but the display in game 6 will always be a black mark on his record and its absolutely inexcusable.
so you're holding Harden to Hakeem and Jordan standards but not Lebron and Kawhi curious, has Jordan single handedly without pippen took the bulls to 55 wins?
poor guy could have had an NBA career more than 7 years if JVG and the rockets didn't run him to the ground
so his body broke down because of RA.. thats how gruelling the sport is not sure what we're arguing about
Don't give me that , tired of all these excuses made for Harden He should of filled up before the storm.
yeah hope MDA can figure out a way to lower harden's minutes, give him a handful of games rest ala Lebron and Kawhi, and play a bigger rotation now he has another superstar playmaker beside harden, 2 solid defensive veterans, and hopefully melo..
From seeing Harden's off-season body and his statements regarding his commitment to watching his diet and working on his conditioning, I think we might see a healthy improvement in his stamina this upcoming season. Let's hope. It's his one main weakness.
