James Harden will miss at least two weeks with a Grade 2 hamstring strain

Harden limped off the court under his own power.

James Harden left late in the fourth quarter of the Houston Rockets’ game against the Los Angeles Lakers on New Years Eve and will miss at least two weeks with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, according to the Rockets. He will be re-evaluated then.

The injury happened as Harden drove for a relatively open layup, and Harden remained on the other end of the court, forcing the Rockets to foul. Harden never went to the floor and walked off under his own power, but with a noticeable limp. Here’s video of the drive where it happened.

The NBA’s leading scorer left the game with 40 points on 10-of-20 shooting from the field and 17-of-21 from the free throw line, plus 11 assists.

Houston came into the evening with a five-game losing streak, although they still had the second-best record in the league. If Harden misses extended time, pressure will fall on Chris Paul to run the team in Harden’s absence — certainly something that he has plenty of experience doing.