After the Houston Rockets lost in a beatdown against the San Antonio Spurs in the sixth game of the Western Conference Semifinals, many were calling for James Harden’s head. While Harden had a rough game, he placed the blame on himself.
James Harden says nothing was wrong with him tonight. He takes full blame for the #Rockets loss to a ‘better team’. pic.twitter.com/9bnKk3wZHd
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) May 12, 2017
Daryl Morey, the Rockets General Manger, doesn’t think all of the blame should fall on his star player. He said, “it’s a joke” that all of the blame is on James Harden. In fact, Morey stood up for Harden by saying the team would not have had the season and been in Game 6 without him.
Daryl Morey on James Harden getting criticism for his play in game 6: “To me, it’s a joke to get on him.” #Rockets pic.twitter.com/giPL7VCHl7
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) May 12, 2017
In the final game of the series, James Harden put up a measly 10 points on 2-11 shooting, seven assists, and six turnovers. Two other players on the team outscored Harden for the night, and six Spurs had as many or more points than the 27-year-old.
The Rockets have some cap space to play with this upcoming summer, and they are still relatively young, so they should be back as contenders next season.
