Dwight Howard Comments on Rockets' Reaction to James Harden's Winning Shot

The Houston Rockets bench was surprisingly subdued when James Harden hit what turned out to be the game-winning shot with 2.7 seconds left in Game 3 against the Golden State Warriors Thursday night, and center Dwight Howard explained the reaction Friday.

According to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, Howard said that the Dubs' penchant for doing the seemingly impossible played into the lack of excitement:

D-12 also had a blunt message for those who believe he and other Rockets players were upset about Harden making the shot, per Simone Eli of KPRC 2 in Houston:

Harden's clutch shot was huge for the Rockets, as it allowed them to cut Golden State's series lead in half to 2-1 and helped them avoid what may have been an insurmountable 3-0 deficit.

The lack of an ecstatic reaction from Howard and others likely developed into a story because of the issues that the All-Star big man and Harden reportedly have with one another.

In February, NBA.com's Fran Blinebury reported that Howard and Harden went to management separately in an attempt to get each other traded.

While the rumors have never been confirmed, perceived dysfunction may have been the reason for the Rockets going from a Western Conference finalist last year to barely making the playoffs as the eighth seed this year.

The 2015-16 season has been extremely difficult for Houston, but it suddenly finds itself in the mix against the greatest regular-season team in NBA history largely because of Stephen Curry's ankle injury.

If the Rockets can get on the same page and Curry's issues persist, then they may have the talent needed to give Golden State a significant scare despite the shortcomings that have limited them throughout the campaign.

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