James Harden and the Houston Rockets had a commanding 2-0 lead on the Oklahoma City Thunder heading into game 3 of their first-round Western Conference playoff matchup. Late in the game, the Rockets were leading although they eventually collapsed as Chris Paul took over and got his team to a tied game. Eventually, the match went into overtime where Harden fouled out, leaving the floor open for Paul and company to do some damage.
That is exactly what the Thunder did as they finished off the game with a massive 119-107 victory that now brings them back to within one win of tying the series. After the game, Harden spoke to reporters about why the team lost and how they will be looking to bounce back in Game 4.
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“We definitely let one get away, especially in that last minute. I think throughout the course of the game, though, we just made too many mental mistakes and gave them opportunities to score. It’s that simple," Harden said. "I think defensively throughout the course of the game, we made too many mental mistakes, and personnel driven, which gave them 3s or layups. We have to limit those opportunities. And we will, I think, in Game 4.”
The Rockets are currently without Russell Westbrook and while they have been exercising caution with him, there is no denying they could use him right now. As the series moves forward, perhaps we will see him back on the court soon.
[Via]