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Harden is upset with the lack of consistency on foul calls.
James Harden is frustrated with the inconsistent calls by referees. The time is 1:05.
The time is 12:36 AM.
James Harden doesn't think he is getting the same benefit from the whistle as he has in the past.
After getting to the line only four times in a 136-125 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night, the 32-year-old made that clear. Harden acknowledged that he didn't know why he wasn't getting the calls he used to get.
Harden said it was a good question. I don't know. I don't want to talk about it. The guys are getting the same calls when I get to the basket. You can't call all of them. There are ones where there is clearly stiff-arms and trips. There is no consistency on the other end. It's frustrating.
Nets coach Steve Nash said that he doesn't think the All-Star guard is treated the same way.
"I think there are nights where it's fair, and even including the points of emphasis this year," Nash said. It feels like he gets targeted a little bit on some nights. It is lumped into that point of emphasis where he is creating the foul, which is not always the case.
The NBA's changing the way it calls certain sequence before the season is one of the points of emphasis cited by Nash. The way Harden and Trae Young were able to get to the line was going to affect them more than most players.
Harden is getting to the foul line almost once more per game this season compared to a year ago, which is interesting. Throughout the season, there have been many instances of Harden driving to the basket and not getting the same whistle he got earlier in his career.
James Harden acknowledged that he didn't know why he wasn't getting the calls he used to get. He said it was a good question.
Harden said he has had trouble getting an explanation from the officials.
Harden said nothing. Nothing. I didn't think it was a foul, or I didn't see it. It's clear. It's very clear. I don't want to talk about it. I have to keep going. That's not going to stop me. Keeping going to the basket, being aggressive and making plays for my team.
Harden is the poster child for the new emphasis from officials, according to Nash.
He's one of the poster childs, according to Nash. The start of the year was rough, the officials were trying to correct the point of emphasis. I think they made a mistake. Tonight was one of those nights where I felt like some of the calls that should go his way didn't.
Harden admitted to being a little passive during Sunday's 4-for-13 performance, despite what he felt was a lack of calls.
Harden said that he needed to attack consistently. "We had a lot of opportunities, a lot of rim opportunities and three opportunities, but I put that on me as far as not being able to get to the basket consistently like I needed to."
Nets guard Kyrie Irving is confident that his teammate will adjust to the way the game is being called.
Irving said that teams have made adjustments, the referees have made adjustments, and now we have to make adjustments. He goes in very aggressively and we want him to do that. He is going to be James. We know who James is, so he's going to be himself, but the whistle can go either way.
We just want to start off the game with a consistent whistle, I think that's what it's all about. He deserves that respect when he's going in there and creating contact. We know who he is. He gets to the free throw line. A lot of his drives are downhill. Some of them can go either way, but we want to have a consistent whistle.
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