Doc Rivers: James Harden Was ‘Hurting’ vs. Bulls

After James Harden's tough night against the Bulls, Doc Rivers revealed the guard was battling a setback.

When James Harden missed the Philadelphia 76ers’ Saturday night matchup on the road over the weekend, it seemed the veteran guard was getting a scheduled rest night. When the Sixers ruled him out, their reasoning was due to foot injury management.

Going into the Sixers’ Monday night matchup against the Chicago Bulls, Harden was left off the injury report, which signaled he was cleared for action. Then during the second quarter of the matchup, Harden was down for a bit after driving to the basket.

While attempting a running layup, the ball was stripped from Harden on a play that many believed was a foul. It seems Harden might’ve landed awkwardly, which caused him to feel foot pain, as Doc Rivers would confirm after the game.

“I thought he was hurting a little bit,” Rivers said after the game. “I thought his pace was so slow. A lot of late clock possessions.”

When Harden was shaken up in the second quarter, he was already struggling offensively as he missed all but one of his six shots from the field at that point. From then on, he made just one more shot before he finished the night by averaging 14 percent from the field.

“He just didn’t play well,” Rivers added. “I don’t think it’s [the Bulls]. At least not tonight.”

It’s unclear if Harden’s setback from Monday night will affect his playing status moving forward. On Wednesday, the Sixers will face the Bulls for the fourth and final time this year. Considering Harden was icing his feet after Monday’s matchup, it’s apparent he’s dealing with some lingering soreness. 

His playing status on Wednesday will be something to keep an eye on. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.