Both Houston Rockets star James Harden and Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker downplayed a chippy sequence near the end of Saturday’s game where both guards received technical fouls.
With just under six minutes left and the Rockets leading by five, Booker grabbed Harden at or above his shoulders to prevent a potential layup on a fast break, which Harden appeared to take exception to.
After the foul was whistled, Harden extended his arms in an apparent bid to separate himself. With both players sprinting toward the basket, the momentum of that downhill impact sent Booker off the court. Booker then rushed back onto the court and got in Harden’s face to say something, at which point Harden lightly pushed him away. Booker then responded with a light shove of his own.
The players were subsequently separated by officials and teammates. Booker’s foul was reviewed, but the on-court officials ultimately decided that it was not worthy of a flagrant foul. Both players were given technical fouls for the play’s aftermath, though.
Booker had something to say to Harden, then Harden shoved him. pic.twitter.com/yhQb8SZoZ3
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 8, 2019
When asked postgame what made him upset, Harden said:
Nothing. Nothing.
The league’s 2018 Most Valuable Player (MVP) then walked away, ending the interview before any further questions could be asked.
According to Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic, Booker also dismissed the idea of any lingering impact from the brief skirmish.
Just competing. If you guys don’t like that, you don’t like NBA basketball, for real.
Rankin also reported that he “heard those two hugged it out near the loading docks,” referring to the 30-year-old Harden and 23-year-old Booker.
Now in his fifth season, Booker is leading the Suns (10-12) with a scoring average of 25.5 points per game. He led all scorers for both teams with 35 in his team’s 115-109 loss to the Rockets (15-7) on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Harden had 34 in Houston’s win and continues to lead the NBA at 38.5 points per game. If that total holds, it would be the third-highest scoring season (on a per-game basis) in league history, and the best of any player in the last 56 seasons.
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