Basketball culture's mythical "ball don't lie" maxim is just as it implies. If there's a questionable call, the ever-truthful Spalding will go through the hoop for the call's beneficiary if it's right, or will do the same for the other side instead if it's wrong. Here's NBA great Rasheed Wallace with an example.
James Harden delivered an even wilder example in Thursday night's game against the Warriors. In the final moments of an overtime that was essentially Golden State vs. Harden, Kevin Durant scrambled for a loose ball as it went out of bounds for a desperation pass to Klay Thompson, who then tossed the ball to Steph Curry for the mid-range jumper to put the Warriors ahead. This would be typical Golden State if Durant's entire body wasn't out of bounds when he threw the ball.
This was going to be a bitter end to a game that saw the Rockets coming from being down 20 to Harden sending it to overtime with a 3-pointer over Durant. But the ball does not lie. After the blown call, Harden drained a 3-pointer from the right wing over Draymond Green. And that was game: 135-134, Rockets.
Harden is hot. This 44-point thriller is his fifth straight 40-plus performance; the additional 10 rebounds and 15 assists make this the first 40-point triple-double since Chris Webber's in 1995, according to StatMuse.
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