Wednesday night The Memphis Grizzlies stole one from Houston with a victory thanks to a little help from the NBA’s officiating crew. Harden drove to the basket in the closing seconds in the 4th quarter down two points, and clearly was fouled by Zach Randolph as the referees decided to let it go. The NBA’s officiating report admitted the call to be incorrect that the officiating crew made the mistake.
Harden was asked by Jenny Dial Creech of The Houston Chronicle his thoughts of the call being ruled incorrect:
When asked if it meant anything that the league admitted their error, Harden said, “It’s still a loss.”
Forward Trevor Ariza added that he and his teammates got “nothing” from the announcement.
“We appreciate the acknowledgment, but it still puts us in the losing column,” forward Josh Smith said. “You never know what the outcome of that game would have been with the call.”
This might be the best answer Harden has ever given in a interview and shows the maturation of Harden. Harden is showcasing an MVP like season and this attitude shows the focus Harden has on not only the regular season, but beyond that as well.
Since being dealt to Houston James Harden has progressed each year, and has grown as one of the best offensive players in the league. Harden has been a leader through his play and will make the choice a difficult one when it comes time to decide who is the MVP of the 2014-2015 season, but he’s also showing leadership through answers like this.
