James Harden, guard of the Rockets of Houston, spoke candidly with reporters after the loss to the Rockets 117-100 at home against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Harden, who finished with 16 points, seven rebounds and six assists, said the Rockets are just not good enough.
“I love this city,” Harden said. “I literally did everything I could. I mean, this situation is crazy. It’s something I do not think can be corrected.”
In Tuesday’s loss, Harden played in his fourth game where he scored 20 points or less. This is Harden’s longest break since the 2011-12 season when he played with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Harden is aware that the Rockets continue to discuss trade scenarios with teams, although no agreement is imminent. Houston’s asking price remains strong for Harden.
Newly acquired Rockets keeper John Wall, who finished with 10 points and five assists in the game, said chemistry played a role in the Rockets’ misery in the early season.
“If you have certain guys who don’t want to buy, it’s hard,” Wall said.
While the Rockets’ chemical problems were a problem, Wall did not hold back his thoughts on building a relationship with Harden.
“It was a little bit rocky, and it’s not going to lie,” Wall said. “I do not think it was the best it could have been. That’s all I can say. ‘
Harden scored 26 points (10th in the league) in 37 minutes of action. He also leads the league in average assistants per game with 11.
Houston (3-6) is one place away from last place in the NBA Western Conference. The Rockets are also 3-3 at home and have dropped two consecutive games.
The Rockets return to action on Thursday against the San Antonio Spurs, a team that claimed a 112-102 victory on the road against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday.