The Utah Jazz were talking quite a bit of trash talk to James Harden on Saturday night during Game 3 of their playoff series against the Houston Rockets.
Uncharacteristically, Harden didn’t sink a single field goal until the fourth quarter and only had three made shots all night (out of 20 attempts). Because he was laying bricks, Jazz players were all to happy to give him grief over it.
On Sunday, Harden was asked about the in-game trash talk, and he took the opportunity to take a shot at his opponents.
Harden said that the Jazz must have “needed that to kind of feel themselves” and “feel important.”
Then he laid the hammer down and said, “Once I saw the fourth quarter, I hadn’t made a field goal and they were only up by two, they was in trouble.”
“The Beard” has been dished his fair share of criticism over the way he flops, among other things. None of it has made any real difference over the long haul, as he’s developed into the most dangerous offensive weapon in the NBA.
As for the Jazz, they’re just one game away from watching the remainder of the playoffs from the comfort of their own couches.