Getty James Harden chats with now-former teammate Carmelo Anthony.
Reigning MVP James Harden was absent in the Rockets’ loss against the LA Clippers on Friday, and it has been confirmed that he will miss yet another game tonight against the Trailblazers.
He suffered a hamstring strain against the Utah Jazz on October 24th, and though he himself has said it’s “nothing serious,” Coach Mike D’Antoni has said that it’s likely Harden will remain sidelined for the rest of the week at least–meaning he’d miss Friday’s matchup against the Brooklyn Nets and probably Saturday’s game against the Bulls as well.
#Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni doubts James Harden will return by Saturday from hamstring injury t.co/UfSLXHVAoV
It’s early in the season, but the Rockets organization isn’t the only one playing it safe with its stars. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kawhi Leonard were both absent in last night’s Raptors vs. Bucks game–Giannis with a concussion and Leonard as part of his back-to-back resting strategy–and New Orleans Pelicans player Anthony “The Brow” Davis has missed his last two games with an elbow injury.
The Rockets have a stunning 1-4 record at the moment, and without Harden it’ll be tough to pull the Western Conference frontrunner out of the slump.
But with the next two games being against relatively weaker teams, it’s possible that they can still get some kind of momentum heading into Monday’s game against the Pacers, in which Harden will likely play.
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