The NBA suspended Houston Rockets guard James Harden for kicking Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James in the groin on Sunday. The league issued Harden a one-game ban for the kick, which earned him a flagrant foul 1 during the game.
Harden's groin-kick to James didn't get him ejected Sunday, but it did earn him a one-game suspension from the NBA. ESPN reported the league's decision, which came Monday night, and will keep Harden off the court Tuesday night when the Rockets visit the Atlanta Hawks.
"It was a pretty intense game that started off with a little scrum on the floor in front of our bench with (Patrick Beverley) and LeBron," Rockets coach Kevin McHale said Monday, via ESPN. "It just kind of stayed kind of chippy all game long, which is fine. Some games are chippy like that."
Harden's kick came after a double-team forced him to the ground.
"Obviously that's not a basketball play," James said after Cleveland's 105-103 loss to Houston. "Obviously the league will probably take a look at it. I have no idea why he would do that, but two competitors just trying to go at it and he won this one."
At least one player from yesterday, though, believed a suspension wasn't warranted.
"Not even thinking about that because I don't think anything that happened in that game last night for either team warrants anybody to miss a game. So not even thinking about down that line," said Rockets veteran Jason Terry, whom the league suspended in 2006 after he punched Michael Finley in the groin during the Western Conference semifinals.
For Cleveland, Sunday's loss marked their second straight loss. They'll host the Boston Celtics on Tuesday.
