James Harden Reveals Ankle Injury After Rockets' Game 4 Win vs. Thunder

A quiet Game 4 from James Harden can apparently be blamed on an ankle injury.

The Houston Rockets star told ESPN's Lisa Salters he suffered the injury in Game 3 and it slowed him down in Sunday's 113-109 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

Harden finished with just 16 points on 5-of-16 shooting, including 0-of-7 from beyond the arc. While he had eight assists, he also turned the ball over seven times.

The MVP candidate was averaging 38.7 points per game in the team's first three postseason contests.

"It was pretty tough; we don't make excuses," Harden said of his health after the game. "We just try to go out there and get the job done. You build trust, and trust in your teammates all year long. When there's moments like this, guys step up and they did tonight."

Nene came through with 28 points and 10 rebounds on 12-of-12 shooting to help the Rockets extend the series lead to 3-1.

Harden will only get one day of rest before returning to action for Game 5 on Tuesday.

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