The Houston Rockets fell to the Los Angeles Lakers, 124-115. The team struggled to beat LeBron James in spite of James Harden's efforts to move heaven and earth.

However, it's a good consolation for The Beard that one of the best players to ever set foot on the hardwood just put him on the pedestal as one of the best to ever do it.

The King was asked after the game about his thoughts on Harden's performance against them. LeBron James didn't tiptoe around the matter. He called the guard one of the best scorers to ever grace the game.

Per ESPN:

James Harden is having another legendary season that will be remembered as one of the best individual scoring efforts the league has ever seen. Through 39 games, Harden is averaging 37.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 7.5 assists a game. What's more impressive is that he's pulling this off while giving Russell Westbrook all of the touches he needs.

James Harden also performed well against the Purple and Gold. He finished with 34 points, six rebounds, seven assists, and a block through 39 minutes of action. Westbrook also performed well, notching 35 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, and three steals. Their performance was vital in giving Houston the lead throughout the first half.

However, the duo's stellar efforts failed to give the Rockets the win as the rest of the team fell short in the second half. Frank Vogel was able to make his adjustments, and LeBron–alongside solid performances from Kyle Kuzma and Danny Green–led the Lakers to a fantastic win.

While the loss was definitely frustrating, it was great that the Rockets have James Harden to count on for easy points.

RECOMMENDED (Article Continues Below)
Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura with the Lakers arena in the background, Gabe Vincent Nuggets NBA Playoffs

David Yapkowitz ·

Magic Johnson holding a coaching board with the faces of D'Angelo Russell, Gabe Vincent, Austin Reaves and D'Angelo Russell on it. LeBron James looking serious

Angelo Guinhawa ·

Nike Kobe 8 Protro "Mambacita" photos and release

Dominik Zawartko ·

—

Follow ClutchPoints on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook. We can also be found on Flipboard where you can subscribe and follow us. Get more on James Harden and LeBron James.

All of our NBA content can be found on the NBA section of the ClutchPoints home page here. For all of our college basketball content, click here. Explore the evolving situation for James Harden and the Rockets.

Follow NBA games live by downloading the ClutchPoints App and heading to the scores tab under the NBA section.