Star guard and MVP frontrunner James Harden plans to return to the lineup on Thursday night vs. Minnesota (29-17), as the Rockets (30-12) seek to put even more separation between themselves and the rest of the Western Conference pack in the race for the No. 2 seed. - It's a miraculous recovery just 18 days after suffering a Grade 2 hamstring strain, but is it too soon? In Wednesday's episode, Ben explains why he's trusting the Houston medical staff on this diagnosis and expecting Harden to return to his usual production levels (32.3 points, 9.1 assists per game) relatively quickly. - Other topics on Wednesday's show include reaction to the news of two-game suspensions for Trevor Ariza and Gerald Green following Monday's postgame incident in Los Angeles, along with a rundown on the latest round of rumors connecting Clipper big man DeAndre Jordan to the Rockets. - #Rockets #NBA #Clippers - Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices