My two cents: Harden's stumble mirrors ASU loss
James Harden’s inexplicable 13-turnover performance in Houston’s Western Conference finals Game 5 loss to Golden State wasn’t the first time he stumbled in a big moment. (He was also 2 for 11 afield.)
When Arizona beat Cleveland State in 2009 to advance to the Sweet 16 out of the Miami regional, ASU lost to Syracuse on the same floor a few hours earlier. Harden was a no-show the way he was in last week’s loss to Golden State. In that game for the sixth-seeded Sun Devils, Harden was almost a decoy. It was baffling. He was 2 for 10 afield, and didn’t take a shot until the 10:58 mark of the first half. He was 0 for 4 at half. Incredibly, Harden didn’t make a field goal until 9:41 remained in the game. By then Syracuse led 59-47 on the way to a 78-67 win.
After the game, Scott Bordow of The Arizona Republic asked Harden why he wasn’t more involved in the offense.
“You’ll have to ask coach (Herb) Sendek,” he said. “It just didn’t work out.”
He shrugged. No big deal.
I didn’t think anyone had ever committed 13 turnovers in an NBA game, but I found that the sainted Jason Kidd once had 14, a league record. And not only that, ex-Arizona Wildcats Gilbert Arenas and Damon Stoudamire both had 12 turnovers in NBA games. Richard Jefferson and Mike Bibby both had 11.
No big deal, indeed.
