LeBron on Harden's groin kick: 'That's not a basketball play'

In the heat of the moment in one of the best games of the season, one MVP favorite took a cheap shot at another.

League-leading scorer James Harden kicked Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James in the midsection after the two battled for the ball during the third quarter of Houston's thrilling 105-103 overtime victory. Harden's kick came minutes after James and Harden's Rockets teammate Patrick Beverley got into a scuffle that resulted in double-technical fouls.

Harden was assessed a flagrant foul on the play. James was less than thrilled about his unnecessary reaction. 

"Obviously that's not a basketball play," James said, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN. "Obviously, the league will probably take a look at it. I have no idea why he would do that, but two competitors just trying to go at it, and he won this one."

James, who bricked a potential game-winning shot in the fourth and then a pair of crucial free throws in overtime, said there was no prior rift between the two. 

His teammates were unsurprisingly quick to stick up for him, as well.

"It was an intentional groin kick," James Jones said. "It was an intentional kick to a troublesome area."

Harden downplayed the incident and said he doesn't expect to be disciplined by the league.

"He's a very good friend off the court," Harden said. "Obviously it's a battle and just trying to win a basketball game. Just competition against one of the best players in the world."

Neither player disappointed in the exhilarating back-and-forth affair.

Harden scored 33, adding five assists, eight rebounds, three steals and two blocks to help the surging Rockets move 1.5 games behind the Memphis Grizzlies in the Southwest Division. He shot 8-of-15 from the field, and converted on 15-of-18 shots from the stripe.

James, meanwhile, notched 37 points, eight rebounds, four assists, three steals and three blocks. But he came up short in a few big spots and shot a miserable 3-of-11 from the line.