Rockets GM Daryl Morey fires back at James Harden's critics



Click through the gallery to relive some of Harden's greatest games with the Rockets. less Rockets GM Daryl Morey (right) was quick to have James Harden's back after the star guard's defense was lampooned yet again by online critics.

Click through the gallery to relive some of Harden's greatest games ... more Rockets GM Daryl Morey (right) was quick to have James Harden's back after the star guard's defense was lampooned yet again by online critics. Photo: Houston Chronicle Photo: Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 21 Caption Close Rockets GM Daryl Morey fires back at James Harden's critics 1 / 21 Back to Gallery

Rockets star James Harden's defense - or his seemingly utter disinterest in playing any - often is grist for the social networking mill.

Such was the case Sunday night in Toronto, when a clip of Harden playing something that remotely resembles defense while the Raptors' DeMar DeRozan drove to the hoop promptly went viral.

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Here's the play in question. Judge Harden's defense - or lack of it - for yourself.

The inevitable online mockery that came Harden's way - after a game in which he scored 40 points and dished out 14 assists in leading the Rockets to a 113-107 win - was apparently too much for Morey to take.

So he had this snarky tweet for Harden's critics:

dont mess w/narrative, your focus should be on 1 possession in gm, not Harden 40/5/14 &1 of only 7 wins @TOR this yr https://t.co/cfypizmfbG — Daryl Morey (@dmorey) March 7, 2016

And for Morey, this tweet won't land him in hot water like another one he infamously sent out last year.