Draymond Green accidentally kicks James Harden in the head in the Golden State Warriors' 127-135 loss to the Houston Rockets Thursday night. (Photo : Getty Images/Bob Levey)
Thursday night's NBA action pitting Western Conference rivals Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets lived up to the hype as the Rockets pulled off a 132-127 double overtime victory behind Most Valuable Player candidate James Harden's triple double.
The game was a shootout (88 three-point attempts) between two of the best NBA teams in terms of offensive efficiency with Golden State ranking No. 1 behind a 113.8 mark and the Rockets residing at fourth with a 109.6 score, But what stuck to what SB Nation considers as an early Game of the Year candidate is the physicality, mainly Draymond Green's kick to the head of Harden in the second overtime.
Green, who is notorious for hitting opponents with his legs and foot especially after kicking Steven Adam's groin in the Warriors' Western Conference finals clash against the Oklahoma City Thunder last season, completely overshadowed his own statline of 20 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists, Harden's 29 points, 15 rebounds and 13 assists and Kevin Durant's 39 points with his kicking antics.
The Warriors were trailing 126-123 with a little over two minutes left in double overtime before Green went up for a shot, only to know that the smaller Harden was there to contest it. The Rockets star was called for the foul, giving Green a chance to trim their deficit to just one point but the referees reviewed the replay and saw the former Michigan alum land a kick to Harden's head.
Game officials called a flagrant foul on Green, who went 1-of-2 from the line, while Harden sank both freebies to put the Rockets up by four plus possession. In the ensuing play, Eric Gordon drained a runner for a six-point Houston lead, just enough cushion to stymie the Warriors' 12-game winning streak.
Green told reporters, as per the Business Insider Sports, he felt that some plays deserved flagrant fouls as well, pertaining to Montrezl Harrel who hit his head with just 20 seconds left in the game. The Warriors' forward asked for the call but it was not awarded.
Despite the loss, the Warriors still rules the league with a 16-3 record and Green, knowing his competitive spirit, would bounce back from this loss.
