James Harden had a career night on Sunday, as he torched the Utah Jazz with 56 points, on 19-of-25 shooting from the field, including 7-of-8 from beyond the arc. His outstanding shooting has overshadowed his ability to set up his teammates for easy baskets, as he also dished out 13 assists in the game.

The dimes made him responsible for giving the Houston Rockets 91 points, which allowed him to re-write the record books, as it is the third highest total in a game in NBA history.

Harden is having another hot to a season, and has picked up where he left off from last year. Through 11 games, he is averaging 29.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 9.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game. More importantly, he is sending a strong message to the rest of the competition that they are serious contenders to the title, and would only get better once Chris Paul returns.

It remains to be seen how The Beard’s strong performance on Sunday will affect how he plays in their next games. If he can build on the momentum he now has, it will only do wonders for the Rockets, and will make it possible for them to improve on their Western Conference-leading 8-3 record.