SAN ANTONIO – Tuesday night’s match between the San Antonio Spurs and the Houston Rockets ended in a thrill, but it also began with some tension courtside.
While James Harden was heading to the free-throw line for his sixth and seventh shots at the 4:08 mark in the first quarter, a Spurs fan can be heard yelling on the sidelines.
“No one wants to see a free throw shooting contest," the man yelled.
Harden replied, “Nobody wanna see fouls either, god damn it.”
Random fan: "No one wants to see a free throw shooting contest."
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 4, 2019
James Harden: "Nobody wanna see fouls either, god damn it." pic.twitter.com/vB87M28kNZ
Rockets want Spurs outcome overturned or game replayed after missed call on James Harden dunk
That was the beginning of frustrations for Harden, who lost a dunk in the fourth quarter.
Referees erased the dunk because they initially ruled the ball didn’t clear the cylinder. The Rockets did not ask for a review within the allotted 30-second window.
After the game, crew chief James Capers said it “should have been a successful field goal” because it followed through the hoop.
On Wednesday morning, ESPN reported the Rockets are “optimistic” the NBA will issue a new ruling on the outcome or order the game to be replayed at the 7:50 mark in the fourth quarter.
A Rockets source is optimistic that the NBA office will take action regarding James Harden's dunk that didn't count, either awarding the win to Houston or ordering that the final 7:50 be replayed because the Rockets outscored the Spurs in regulation. The Rockets believe a...
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) December 4, 2019
'Wayyyy to WINNNNN’: Spurs players ‘hyped’ after 2OT win over Rockets
The Spurs ended the night with a 135-133 win over the Rockets in double overtime.