D'Antoni: Harden's sore wrist bothering him, may need closer look

James Harden feels playing every game should be a factor in MVP consideration, but he may have to prioritize rest and rehabilitation if his sore shooting wrist doesn't start to show improvement.

Harden's been playing through the issue since jamming his left wrist on a fall against the Denver Nuggets on March 18, and Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni told reporters it was bothering his All-Star shooting guard throughout his woeful shooting night Tuesday against the Golden State Warriors. D'Antoni said the wrist might be something to look at, and Harden had it wrapped in ice in the locker room after the game, ESPN's Calvin Watkins reports.

Harden's shooting hadn't suffered in any of his other subsequent games, as he shot 48.5 percent from the field and 35.4 percent from 3-point range in three contests - all wins - after the injury. In Tuesday's loss, he went 5-of-20 from the field and 1-of-9 from deep (though he did toss in 11 rebounds and 13 assists).

Harden has suited up for each of the Rockets' 74 games this season, and ranks second to Andrew Wiggins in total minutes played. But with eight games left in the regular season, and the Rockets firmly locked into the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, the next couple weeks could be an ideal time to get him rested and healed for the playoffs.