Houston Rockets forward James Harden has admitted that he was pleased to take out his frustration on the Golden State Warriors in game four of their Western Conference final series.
The Rockets got back into the series as Harden scored a playoff career-high 45 points to guide his team to a 128-115 victory at Toyota Center.
The 25-year-old has admitted that he was determined to make an impact in the match after a below-par display in game three.
Harden told reporters: "I always want to take it out on my opponent, in a good way. Just being aggressive, like I said, taking shots, getting to the basket, not really forcing anything and allowing the game to come to me.
"Combination of just moving my body, setting screens, cutting, coming off when I got an opportunity. Coming off hard to attack and, ultimately, just being aggressive, taking my shot when I had it and mixing it up."
The Rockets still trail the Warriors 3-1 in the series ahead of game five on Wednesday.
Simon Sinclair
