May 23 (UPI) -- James Harden threw down a ferocious slam dunk on Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green in a Houston Rockets victory.
The dunk came in the second quarter of the Rockets' 95-92 Game 4 win in the Western Conference finals Tuesday at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif. Houston trailed Golden State 36-31 when Harden took control of the ball just above the 3-point arc.
Harden first drew the defense of forward Kevon Looney. "The Beard" blew by Looney and picked up his dribble to get around the help from Stephen Curry. Harden coasted into the paint as Green decided to step over near the rim. Green jumped up and tried to contest Harden at the rim, but the NBA MVP candidate used his left hand to slam the ball through the net and put the former Defensive Player of the Year on a poster.
Curry was given a foul for a reach in during Harden's drive. Harden made the resulting free throw, making the score 36-34 with 6:06 remaining in the half.
Harden had 24 points in the first half and finished with a game-high 30 points. He also had four assists, four rebounds and three steals. Chris Paul had 27 points in the win. Curry led the Warriors with 28 points, while Kevin Durant chipped in 27 points. Green had 11 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists in the loss.
The Western Conference finals series is now tied 2-2, with Game 5 set for 9 p.m. Thursday at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
