Harden on ‘disappointing’ loss of Danuel House: ‘It’s a distraction’

“Very, very disappointing,” James Harden said. “It affected us. Obviously, it’s a distraction. He was a huge part of our rotation.”

The Houston Rockets had numerous problems in their second-round series loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, but one of them was clearly the unexpected loss of Danuel House Jr., their sixth man.

The 6-foot-6 forward was booted from the NBA’s “bubble” site for the 2020 playoffs after having an unauthorized female in his hotel room, which violated the league’s safety protocols aimed at reducing potential exposure to COVID-19. House initially denied any wrongdoing to NBA investigators, but he eventually confirmed the allegations.

For Rockets superstar James Harden, who is now 31 years old and in his 11th NBA season, losing a key role player midway through a playoff series — and for an entirely self-inflicted reason — is a tough pill to swallow. In a press conference after a season-ending loss in Game 5, Harden was asked how he felt about the House situation. Here’s how he responded:

Very, very disappointing. It affected us. Obviously, we still have to go out there and play a basketball game, and play a series. But it affected us. Obviously, it’s a distraction. He was a huge part of our rotation.

Harden led the Rockets with 30 points (on 60% shooting) and six rebounds, but he didn’t have much help in a 119-96 defeat. Of the other seven rotation players, all shot below 40% from the field, and only two scored in double figures. Clearly, having House could have helped.

In nine playoff games, House averaged 11.4 points (35.8% on 3-pointers) and 5.8 rebounds in 31.0 minutes, and he was among the most athletic and versatile options for Houston’s switch-heavy defense.

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The Rockets were 1-1 against the Lakers in two games with House, and they led going to the fourth quarter in the lone loss. Meanwhile, they were 0-3 without the 27-year-old in the final three games of the series, with the three losses by an average of more than 14 points per game.

While House is under contract with the Rockets for two additional years, there is likely work to be done this offseason if he is to rebuild trust with the organization before the 2020-21 season.

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