The Houston Rockets were absolutely embarrassed by the San Antonio Spurs in Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals. Playing at home in Houston and the Spurs being without Kawhi Leonard, the Rockets were blown out by 39 points, 114-75. What was equally humiliating was James Harden’s sub-par performance. The MVP candidate put up just 10 points and seven assists on 2-of-11 shooting from the field to go along with six turnovers and six personal fouls.
Harden seemed unfocused and uninspired, almost as if he had given up on his team. He was extremely passive, sloppy, and wasn’t attacking the rim enough offensively, settling for outside jumpers instead.
Harden’s atrocious performance was inexcusable and unexplainable. What was going on with the 27-year-old star? Maybe Stephen A. Smith knows.
Was James Harden drugged?
Could it be that James Harden was drugged before Game 6? Stephen A. Smith sure believes so. In an appearance on SportsCenter after Game 6, Smith harshly criticized Harden, hilariously claiming that he may have been drugged.
“I think there needs to be an investigation to be quite honest with you. He looked like he was drugged out there for crying out loud, literally comatose,” Smith said. He seriously believed that the person playing in Game 6, wearing number 13 for the Rockets wasn't James Harden. It was someone else.
Stephen A. Smith may be up to something.
Harden could have quite possibly partied all night the day before or decided to take something the morning of Game 6. He certainly didn’t look himself on the court, and the Spurs took complete advantage.
Spurs deserve a lot of credit as well
However, let’s not ignore the fact that the Spurs completely destroyed the Rockets right from the beginning, making Harden a non-factor by forcing him into turnovers, bad shots, and foul trouble.
The Spurs also executed beautifully on the offensive end, amassing 32 team assists. They also out-rebounded the Rockets, 60-37.
They were dominant right from the start of that game, which for some reason overwhelmed Harden far too much. It’s not like Harden’s teammates did any better, as they shot 28.6 percent from the field as a whole.
But, if Smith thinks Harden was drugged, it’s certainly an interesting claim, a hilariously one at that. Whatever the case, the Rockets witnessed an upsetting end to their season and will have to improve on many areas for next year.
