HOUSTON (SportsRadio 610)- After missing the Rockets win over the Golden State Warriors Saturday night, James Harden is probable to play Monday night when the team returns home to take on the Atlanta Hawks.
Harden missed Saturday's game in Oakland due to a cervical strain, and didn't sound confident that he'd be able to play after taking part in shootaround Monday morning inside Toyota Center.
"I don't know," he said. "I don't know. It's my first time touching a basketball in a few days, so we'll see."
Harden says the injury occurred at practice Wednesday in Los Angeles when he collided with a teammate coming around a screen. He scored 30 points in 37 minutes during the Rockets 111-106 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers Thursday, but shot just 2-of-10 from behind the 3-point line, and he says the injury affects him with more than just basketball.
"It's tough to just hold your head up, so even when you sleep it's kinda a lose-lose situation. If you're up, you can't really move your neck, and if you sleep, you can't sleep the wrong way, so I've just been trying to sleep to hopefully knock the pain off, and hopefully the pain goes away. It's been doing that, I've been getting treatment non-stop."
The Rockets are 2-2 in games Harden has missed this season, but if he is able to return to the floor Monday, the Rockets will be at full strength as Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni said Iman Shumpert is available after missing the last two games with right knee soreness.
