Rockets' James Harden on Load Management: 'What Is That? I'm a Hooper'

Houston Rockets guard James Harden seemingly isn't worried about resting down the stretch.

In an interview with NBA TV on Friday, Harden was asked about "load management," to which he suggested that he has no interest in lessening his workload:

"What is that? I'm a hooper. I love to hoop. I know hooping isn't gonna be here forever, so I love to get out there and compete. The best days are when your legs are a little tired and your shots isn't falling. Those are the best days because you gotta figure a way to get through it. I love to go out there and compete and hoop."

Harden's comments came after he tied his career high with 61 points over 37 minutes in a 111-105 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night.

James Harden Highlights

Harden scored more than half of his team's points and made 19 of the 34 shots he put up in yet another remarkable performance. With 36.5 points per game, Harden is the NBA's leading scorer and a strong candidate to repeat as NBA MVP.

With Chris Paul and Clint Capela both missing significant time with injuries over the course of the season, Harden has put the team on his back at times and played huge minutes while only missing four games in his own right.

The Rockets have now won 13 of their past 15 games, and with a record of 46-27, they are third in the Western Conference and trail the Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets by four games for first place.

Houston had the best record in the NBA last season and made it to Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals before falling to the Warriors. After a slow start this season, the Rockets once again appear poised for a deep playoff run.

Getting Harden some rest might be a wise move for head coach Mike D'Antoni, but with Harden wanting to play and the top seed still within reach, Harden figures to continue doing his thing during the season's closing weeks.