Eric Christian Smith/Associated Press
Rockets guard James Harden acknowledged Monday he may have gotten away with a travel late in Houston’s 102-97 win over the Utah Jazz.
With the Rockets leading 97-94 and just 54.6 seconds remaining, he shuffled his feet on a step-back three that resulted in a foul on Ricky Rubio (2:45 mark):
According to ESPN.com’s Tim MacMahon, Harden was asked about the play after the game and responded: “What do you want me to say? Tell on myself?”
The NBA Referees Twitter account admitted to missing the call:
NBA Referees @OfficialNBARefs
The offensive player gathers the ball while on his right foot. He then takes a step with his left foot (step 1) into a hop step, landing first with his right foot (step 2) and then illegally with his left (step 3). We missed this one – it is a traveling violation. https://t.co/BqMAoZHgIu
Harden made two of the three free throws to put the game away. The reigning MVP finished with a game-high 47 points to go with six rebounds, five assists and five steals as Houston improved to 15-14.
While Rubio stopped short of criticizing the officiating, he said: “You watch the play? What do you think? I’m not going to answer, but I think 100 percent of the people know the answer.”
Utah sits 14th in the Western Conference at a disappointing 14-17 after reaching the second round of the playoffs last season. Meanwhile, the Rockets are rebounding from their rough start with four straight wins, and they are now 10th in the West.
Officiating has been a hot-button issue surrounding Harden recently. The Los Angeles Lakers expressed frustration last week, and LeBron James even defended with his hands behind his back at one point to avoid getting called for a foul during a 126-111 loss.
Harden, who is known for his step-back jumper, also attempts a league-leading 10.2 free throws per game.
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