These stats show Harden is master of drawing 3-point fouls - NBCSports.com

After the Houston Rockets' playoff series opener against the Warriors, the attention shifted from the two teams on the court to the three NBA officials who didn't give James Harden the calls he'd received for the majority of the past three seasons.

With the Warriors leading by three points with under 30 seconds to play, Harden let a 3-pointer fly and tried to draw contact with Draymond Green in the hopes he'd be sent to the line for three free-throw attempts. No whistle was blown, however, and the Warriors escaped with a 104-100 win.

Following the loss, Harden and the Rockets complained about the star not getting his patented "landing zone" foul calls, costing them a number of free-throw attempts. The 2018 NBA MVP asked for a "fair shake," and the 48-hour conversation about the officiating that followed caused many to critique the star for his complaints.

But one look at the stats shows why Harden and the Rockets were upset. The Beard has mastered the art of drawing the 3-point shooting foul.

In fact, it's become the most effective play in basketball.

In a recent statistical deep dive, ESPN's Kirk Goldberry crunched the numbers on Harden's ability to draw a foul while shooting a 3-pointer, and the stats are staggering.

Steph Curry is thought of as the greatest shooter in NBA history. Yet, a wide-open 3-pointer from Curry is worth just 1.6 points on average, per Goldberry.

Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo took his game to an MVP-level this season, but a wide-open dunk from The Greek Freak is worth just under two full points.

A 3-point shooting foul on Harden is worth more than 2.6 points, per occurrence.

During his career, Harden has drawn 429 3-point shooting fouls. Over the past three seasons, the Charlotte Hornets have drawn 185 3-point shooting fouls. The Beard has drawn 288 by himself.

But those aren't even the craziest stats.

On average, NBA shooters are fouled on 1.66 percent of their 3-point shooting attempts. Harden, however, draws a whistle on 11.5 (!) percent of his 3-point attempts.

During his career, Harden has made more free throws than field goals in both the regular season and the playoffs. That makes him the only MVP this century to accomplish that feat.

He's a wizard at drawing fouls, and he's accustomed to getting the whistle.

Harden has tricked the NBA into sending him to the free-throw line more than any other player in the NBA. So, it's no wonder Harden wants his "fair shake" when the calls don't go his way.

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