James Harden: 'Very Disappointing' Danuel House Situation 'Huge Distraction'

Houston Rockets guard James Harden called the expulsion of teammate Danuel House from the NBA bubble a "huge distraction" ahead of Saturday's Game 5 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.

The 119-96 defeat bounced the Rockets from the postseason in the Western Conference Semifinals for the second year in a row. 

Harden told reporters House being sent home from Orlando, Florida, after having an unauthorized guest in his room was "very, very disappointing."

House, a 6'6", 220-pound small forward who doubles as one of the larger players on Houston's roster, was looking like an increasingly important piece for the Rockets when he was sent home. 

In Game 2, the 27-year-old posted 13 points and five rebounds in 27:22 on the floor while shooting 50.0 percent from the field. 

His ability to play inside and out made him a solid mismatch across the floor and helped pull defenders away from the likes of Harden and Russell Westbrook. 

After averaging 11.4 points and 5.8 rebounds through nine games this postseason, Houston suddenly had to play without him for the final three games of the series, and the Rockets lost all three. 

According to Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic, House violated NBA health and safety protocol by allowing a female coronavirus tester into his hotel room:

"A woman entered the Rockets' team hotel on Monday night, passing multiple security checkpoints before being flagged for her entry, sources said. She exited the hotel in the early hours of Tuesday morning, and the league cited early data points that implicated two members of the Rockets, House and Tyson Chandler, sources said. When the woman was questioned by NBA security, she did not implicate House's name and it is uncertain whether she remains on campus, sources said. She claimed to have contact with Chandler and another player, not named House, according to sources."

An NBA investigation followed, with the league quickly determining House had broken NBA bubble rules.

The Texas A&M alum was sent home on September 11 after the NBA announced he would no longer participate in the postseason.