Houston Rockets All-Star James Harden is fine after bruising his right knee during the team's final preseason game against the Memphis Grizzlies, and should be available for next week's regular season opener against the Charlotte Bobcats despite having been originally listed as day-to-day.
Harden hurt his knee after colliding with Grizzlies guard Quincy Pondexter after nailing a three-pointer. While painful, the All-Star said it is now better and should not prevent him from appearing in their first regular season game against the Bobcats on Wednesday, October 30.
The Rockets guard limped to the locker room just seven minutes into the game after being hit by Pondexter in his right knee. He went to the free throw line and sank a bonus shot to complete the three-point play, and Patrick Beverley intentionally fouled to stop the clock ad allow Harden to leave the game.
But as Jonathan Feigen of the Ultimate Rockets blog reports, Harden's knee is fine.
"It was painful, but ... it's better now," Harden was reported as saying.
Harden called Pondexter's play as poor defense and stopped at calling it as reckless. "You're taught not to foul jump shooters. He just got too close and we bumped knees. It's still basketball."
Despite Harden's absence, the Rockets pummeled the Grizzlies, 92-73.
Harden is the leading scorer of the Rockets in the preseason with 20.8 points a game. He is teaming up with superstar center Dwight Howard this season with their combination the best inside-outside duo in Houston since the days of Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady.
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