The Rockets succumbed to a 111-106 defeat at the hands of LeBron James’ Lakers on Friday morning.
James scored 29 points as his team turned around a 19-point deficit to stun the home crowd at Staples Center.
The Rockets had a full-strength team for the first time in two months, as Harden and team-mates Chris Paul and Clint Capela put the Houston team into an early double-digit lead.
But Harden fouled out of the game with 1:24 remaining on the clock after he was deemed to have charged into James.
And after the game, Harden couldn’t help but hide his feelings about referee Scott Foster, who has never officiated a Rockets win.
“He’s [Foster] rude and arrogant,” the former OKC Thunder man said.
“For sure it’s personal, for sure.”
And according to Kelly Iko, a reporter with The Athletic, Harden said that Foster should never be allowed to referee another Rockets game again.
Paul, who scored 23 points, while registering 10 rebounds and nine assists, also had his say on the officiating.
“I don’t know what else to do,” he said.
“I’ve met with the league with him before. I don’t know what else to do.”
Foster has now taken charge of seven Houston Rockets games, with none of them ending in a win for Mike D’Antoni’s team.
The game wasn’t a completely sour affair for Harden, though, as he managed to complete his 32nd straight 30-point game.
He’s now the league’s leading scorer, averaging 36.6 points per game for the season.
But James’ Lakers rallied, and with just over four minutes remaining, the former Cleveland Cavaliers man hit two free throws to put them in the lead.
With victory secured for the Lakers, they now sit on an even season record of 29-29, with 24 games remaining of the season.