I actually think they have a better chance with this than other protests that have been lodged. The ball going through the basket, and not counting for points, is very
objectively wrong. This isn't a judgment call on a foul, or a question of sufficient evidence to determine who touched the ball before it went out of bounds. It's a fundamental mistake in how basketball works. And you can't just award two more points to Houston--you'd have to replay the game from the moment it happened. I think it's actually closer to when the
Heat got a replay for Shaq being disqualified after five fouls, instead of six.
Honestly, this would all be easier if Harden didn't go after the loose ball. When he came racing back into the play, I think that lulled/confirmed for the refs that the ball was live. He should have left it sitting there and gone back on defense. If he just ignored the basketball and jogged back, the refs would have realized something (like a score) had happened. That's what happened here, when Manu Ginobili hit a three, but Michael Beasley acted like he didn't:
Manu protested immediately, the refs stopped the action and called for replay, and
eventually awarded the points.
But that's hindsight, and I'm not blaming Harden, it's not his fault.