James Harden gave the NBA more of the same on Wednesday night against the New York Knicks. Leading the Houston Rockets to a 114-110 victory over the Knicks, Harden put up 61 points, 15 rebounds, 4 assists, and 5 steals in his latest stop on the MVP campaign trail. Justin Kobatko pointed out a particular feat as of recent that once again puts Harden among elite company:
James Harden is just the second player in NBA history to record at least three 55-point games in a calendar month. The other is Wilt Chamberlain, who had eight such months. pic.twitter.com/GrDXsGNGhc
— Justin Kubatko (@jkubatko) January 24, 2019
Being compared to legendary players is nothing new for Harden this season, who has forced discussions involving his name being mentioned alongside those like Wilt and Kobe Bryant. His big game against New York marked his 21st consecutive game scoring 30 or more points. He is still behind Wilt in this record, who had streaks of 25 and 31 games, but this did place Harden’s streak in fourth overall among all NBA players in history.




With his team depleted due to injury, James Harden has been a one-man wrecking ball, fighting his way to wins for his team. Through the month of January, Harden is averaging 45.3 points, 8.9 rebounds, 7.9 assists, 6.0 3’s, 2.2 steals, and 1.1 block. All of his numbers have been impressive, but most notably his scoring. They are especially impressive when you consider how he is getting them.
James Harden, including tonight’s 61 points vs. the Knicks, has scored 261 POINTS in his last 5 games. All of these points were UNASSISTED. He also racked up 21 assists total in this stretch. Absolutely remarkable. #Rockets
— Alykhan Bijani (@Rockets_Insider) January 24, 2019
Easily having his best season ever after following up winning his first MVP, Harden seems locked in to not letting his team fall in the Western Conference Standings, regardless of the hurdles placed in their way. If he keeps this up, the Rockets will no doubt find themselves in a familiar position come playoff time.