Rockets’ bench surprisingly unenthusiastic after James Harden shot

The Houston Rockets beat the Golden State Warriors 97-96 at home in Game 3 of their playoff series on Thursday night, thanks largely to a game-winning shot by James Harden with just over two seconds left. Though Harden’s shot turned out to be the game-winner and was a big one, you wouldn’t have been able to tell based on the reaction from the Rockets bench.

Take a look at their reaction to Harden’s shot, which put Houston up 97-96:

Check out the excitement from the guys on the Rockets bench… pic.twitter.com/EvQVrT8mDn

— Sean Farnham (@SeanFarnham) April 22, 2016

You certainly can defend the reactions because the shot did not end the game and the Warriors still had a chance to win. In that sense, had the bench gone nuts, their celebration would have been premature. But you still would expect a little more enthusiasm about Harden making that shot.

Maybe the Rockets have just been studying a few too many Jay Wright videos.