James Harden: 'Dwight Howard gives us all confidence'

Houston Rockets forward James Harden has admitted that he and his teammates gain confidence from having Dwight Howard in their starting lineup.

Howard played through the pain barrier in game two of their Western Conference final series against the Golden State Warriors after sustaining a sprained knee in game one.

The 29-year-old declared that he was feeling better ahead of game three, and Harden has admitted that it gives his teammates a huge boost to have the center out on the court alongside them.

"It gives us our confidence," Harden told reporters. "The confidence that our big fella is back there to protect us.

"He's going to fight his way through the series. You get that mindset and everybody carries it on the court and you just go out there and compete with the effort."

The Rockets are 2-0 down in their series against the Warriors.