Draymond Green: James Harden 'pinched' me, so I punched his wrist

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Houston Rockets guard James Harden said he was punched on his sore left wrist by Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green in the third quarter of Friday's game, an act that Green acknowledged he committed.

"I thought it was a closed fist. I don't know," Harden said after the Rockets' 107-98 loss. "I don't know what [the referee] saw."

Harden jammed his left wrist March 18 when he took a nasty spill at Denver.

Green claimed he punched Harden's wrist Friday because Harden was pinching him in the stomach area.

"He pinched me, so I punched his wrist," Green said. "That's pretty much it. He does it often actually, which is kind of adolescent, but whatever."

This isn't the first time Harden and Green have gotten into it during a game. In the first meeting between the teams, a 132-127 double-overtime win by the Rockets on Dec. 1, Green kicked Harden in the face while attempting a putback. Green was assessed a flagrant foul 1 penalty.

Harden was beaten up by the Warriors on Friday night. He hit the deck earlier in the third quarter when he was trying to fight through a screen by Matt Barnes.

Asked about the screen, Harden said only, "I got hit."

Harden finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds on 4-of-18 shooting.

Green had 6 points, missing 9 of his 11 shot attempts, but he added 3 blocks, 8 assists and 6 rebounds. According to ESPN Stats & Information, the Rockets were 3-for-17 when Green was the primary defender.