Hawks guard Kent Bazemore issued a statement after Rockets guard James Harden pulled an embarrassing move on him.
Bazemore was matched up one-on-one with Harden and tried to anticipate where the reigning MVP was going to dribble next. But that didn't go exactly as planned when Harden tricked Bazemore into spinning around in a complete circle in the first quarter of the Hawks' 121-105 loss to the Rockets as he got crossed over. The announcer said, "Someone give Kent Bazemore a map so he can find James Harden.”
James Harden leaves Kent Bazemore DIZZY ?pic.twitter.com/1KxhebAsDe
— The Crossover (@TheCrossover) March 20, 2019
Bazemore defended himself Wednesday on Twitter by sharing an explanation of what went wrong during that play:
“Ok, I feel like you guys want an explanation…. It’s always a chess match against James Harden. One of the best iso players the game has ever seen. I use the spin on defense for better recovery. Either that or fall. (I chose the lesser of two evils). James likes to step back for the three when the ball is in his left hand which is why I moved up the floor after the spin. Had he done that, I would have been in solid position for the contest. Obviously, I guessed wrong and that’s what makes him such a great scorer. He’s patient with the dribble. There are a ton of things I couldve (sic) done to put myself in a better position but when dealing with an assassin, they attack when you are most vulnerable. Great move, bro. All and all, I’m alive and well. Ready for the Jazz tomorrow.”
The Hawks are sitting 12th in the Eastern Conference and fell to 24-48 after Tuesday's loss. Bazemore has averaged 12.1 points and 4.1 rebounds, while shooting 41.4 percent from the field.