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Brooklyn Nets star James Harden was forced to exit Monday's game against the New York Knicks due to a hamstring issue. As it turns out, Harden himself knew that there was something wrong with his hamstring even before tip-off.
In his post-game interview, Nets coach Steve Nash revealed Harden's premonition prior to the start of the contest (h/t Alex Schiffer of The Athletic):
Steve Nash said James Harden had an awareness that something wasn't right with his hamstring. His scan earlier today was clean and his strength tests back in the locker room were good. Said they need to protect him from it. Doesn't give a timeline. Airing on the side of caution.
— Alex Schiffer (@Alex__Schiffer) April 6, 2021
Players know their bodies well, and in this particular instance, it appears that the Nets should have listened to Harden. Then again, if he knew that there was a problem then he could have made the decision of not playing himself. Harden probably felt like this was something he could play through, but apparently, he was wrong.
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It is worth noting that Harden missed the Nets' previous two games due to this same injury, so as it is, it appears that he may have rushed his return. This comes as an odd development for Brooklyn, who themselves have been notoriously overcautious with the injuries of their players.
Harden has now aggravated his injury and could miss more time. The Nets have yet to provide a timetable for Harden's injury, but you can be sure that they're going to be extremely cautious with their star here.
Despite Harden's early exit, Kyrie Irving and Co. were still able to escape with a 114-112 victory over their cross-town rivals in the New York Knicks. They return to action on Wednesday against the New Orleans Pelicans before battling the defending champs, the Los Angeles Lakers, in a highly-anticipated bout on Saturday. It remains to be seen if Harden will be available for that marquee matchup.
