James Harden Still Day-To-Day After Concussion

Oklahoma City Thunder guard James Harden sat out Tuesday night's matchup with the Sacramento Kings to recover from his concussion and is unlikely to play in Wednesday's game against the Nuggets.

On Tuesday morning, Harden did not pass some of the early stages of concussion testing that are required by the league for a player to return to action.

The Thunder Public Relations staff released the following statement about Harden on Monday:

"James Harden continued to undergo tests today in Oklahoma City that followed NBA protocol for the concussion he suffered in yesterday's contest against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Harden participated in a series of limited activities per NBA guidelines, but has additional steps that must be taken under the league-mandated concussion policy before he can make his return to the court."

Harden's injury came from an elbow to the head by Los Angeles forward Metta World Peace. After World Peace dunked the ball, he threw an elbow to the back of Harden's head that knocked Harden to the court for several minutes.

Harden left the game and did not return. World Peace was ejected and will likely face a multi-game suspension.

The NBA has a strict series of guidelines players must undergo in order to return to the court following a concussion. Players must undergo a series of neurological and physical tests to determine whether they are able to play.

Players must show no negative symptoms in the increasing series of tests, and must consult with Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher, the director of the NBA's concussion program, before returning to the court.

The league's guidelines for concussions as well as the new position that Kutcher occupies were implemented during this past offseason.

After the victory against Sacramento on Tuesday, the Thunder will close out the regular season Wednesday at home against Denver.