James Harden of the Houston Rockets is the first player in NBA history to notch a 40-plus point game with eight field goals made or less.
Per Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer:
James Harden scored 43 points on 8 makes today, which makes him the first player in NBA history to score over 40 on 8 or fewer makes. It's the 8th time in his career he's scored 40 or more on 10 or fewer field goals. No other player has done it more than twice in league history.
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) January 1, 2019
Harden achieved the feat in the Rockets' New Year's Eve victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, 101-113. Harden scored 43 points on 8-of-19 shooting from the field. He got the rest of his points from the 3-point line where he was 6-of-12 and the free throw line where he was 21-of-27.
This is his fourth consecutive game with at least 40 points, and eighth straight game scoring at least 35. From a team standpoint, the team has won five straight. Out of the last 10, they've only lost just one.
Houston now has a 21-15 record which is good for fifth place in the Western Conference. As the season approaches its midpoint mark, last year's best regular season team has managed to turn things around. Just earlier this year, the Rockets struggled to find any semblance of consistency in their game.
However, thanks to James Harden's efforts, the Rockets may be back to their old form. Time can only tell if they can replicate or even improve on their success last season. But looking at them now, they definitely look better than their early-season selves.
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