Harden out Injured for Rockets vs. Nuggets; Westbrook to Sit vs. Jazz Monday

Houston Rockets star James Harden will miss Sunday's game against the Denver Nuggets with a bruised thigh, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.  

Russell Westbrook is also expected to sit out Monday's game against the Utah Jazz. 

Health has rarely been a problem for Harden in his career, as he has never missed more than 10 games in a single season. The guard is also consistently among the league leaders in minutes per game, with more than 35 every season since coming to Houston in 2012-13.

While he suffered a sprained right toe earlier in the season, he was able to return to the lineup after just one missed game.

This should provide confidence Harden will miss minimal action with the latest injury and return to the court before too long, though he is doubtful for Monday, per Feigen. 

The 30-year-old has become the most consistent scorer in the NBA over the past few years. Harden won the scoring title in each of the last two years, setting a personal best with 36.1 points per game in 2018-19.

The veteran appears well on his way to another scoring title while averaging 36.1 points per game in 2019-20, adding 6.2 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game.

Though the Rockets have other scoring options like Westbrook and Eric Gordon to take over, they will lose a lot offensively with their star unavailable.