As the Houston Rockets toe the line of squeaking into the playoffs and staying home, they will go into Oklahoma City with their leading scorer. After spraining his ankle Saturday, James Harden expects to play tonight after experiencing positive results in his morning shootaround.
The All-Star shooting guard did not participate in practice Monday, but felt confident in his ankle this morning. Harden is the NBA's leader in minutes per game and ranks second in points per game (28.6) only to Stephen Curry.
"He looked good," Houston's interim coach, J.B. Bickerstaff, said. "Unless something crazy happens between now and game time, he should be ready to go."
Harden has not missed a game for the Rockets this season and is a vital part of a team tied for eighth place in the Western Conference. The Rockets are only half a game behind the Portland Trail Blazers for the sixth seed, which would allow them to avoid playing either the Golden State Warriors or San Antonio Spurs in the first round.
"Feel better than I did yesterday," Harden said. I've been rehabbing and getting treatment every single day, icing it, just doing the things that, hopefully, will put me in position to play tonight."
In addition to their playoff chase, the Rockets are dealing with controversy on multiple fronts. Center Dwight Howard admitted to using a sticky substance for several years, igniting a debate about whether or not he cheated. Howard also addressed rumors he does not get along with Harden, going so far as to say the Rockets could win an NBA title if they "come together... like we want to."
Howard explained: "I have no hate in my blood for this man, you know? For what? He came from nothing. We both came from nothing. And we're doing something that we love. We grew up playing this game for fun, and we had big dreams of making it to the NBA."
The Rockets will have their hands full when they take on Harden's former team, as Thunder forward Kevin Durant said his sore right elbow is "fine." Like Harden, Durant missed practice Monday and received good news today that there is no structural damage.
"We've got to win some games - it's that simple," Bickerstaff said. "Obviously, winning them all is the objective and is the goal. [This] will be a big game."
