SAN ANTONIO - Rockets guard James Harden averaged 10.3 free throws attempted against the Spurs last season, roughly matching the 10.1 he averaged against the league as a whole. But keeping Harden off the line was and remains a key to the Spurs' defense against him.
"If your hands are anywhere in the vicinity, he's going to find a way to get mucked up with you so that he can get off the shot or get fouled some way or another," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "We're pretty used to keeping our hands away from him. It's like he's got the plague and we don't want to touch him.