Landon Buford
James Harden has not played in the Nets Eastern Conference Semifinals since going down with a hamstring injury after the first 43 seconds of game one.
Bally Sports’ Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson tweeted out that James Harden would likely miss game four.
The Nets’ James Harden (hamstring) likely out for Game 4. [The] Nets are moving cautiously with Harden & are optimistic that he’ll be ready for [the] next round and beyond.
On Saturday night, Robinson tweeted out that James would officially miss game four according Steve Nash.
On Sunday, I spoke with former Los Angeles Lakers trainer Marco Nunez via text and asked him to give a undated analysis on Harden’s injury.
“They are reporting that he is currently experiencing hamstring tightness, which is a good thing compared to him sustaining a hamstring strain. Seeing that he has had two hamstring strains this season alone, the Nets medical staff will monitor him and determine the risk-reward ratio for him returning to play,” said Nunez.
“I believe the nets are up 2-1 and if they go up 3-1 today, more reason to sit Harden for game 4 and provide him more time to Rehab and work on the tightness. If he returns to early and continues to experience hamstring tightness, it can lead to an eventual hamstring strain that can potentially put him out for the remaining of the playoffs.”
Nunez earlier this season talked about Harden’s hamstring for the first time on Clubhouse in the Lakers Nation Fan Club.
“So, I don’t know where the location of the hamstring injury. Whenever you strain a hamstring, it depends on how close it is to the tendon area or mid-belly or lower, depending on the timeline of when the athlete will return,” said Nunez.
“Hamstrings are very tough, especially in sports diametrically as far as explosiveness and changing direction. So, you have to be very careful; he had a little of a setback. They are very tricky because of the location of the tear, and they haven’t reported where it is at. However, that is a huge component of that.”
The Nets and Bucks will play later today in Milwaukee on ABC.
