James Harden may have won league MVP last season but the Houston Rockets player is showing absolutely zero signs of slowing down. The Rockets star scored 57 points last night in the team's 112-94 win against the Memphis Grizzlies. Not only did Harden drop his season high, but he also had 36 points by halftime, and did something only Wilt Chamberlain has done. Harden has scored 30 points in 17 consecutive games, while Chamberlain had 20 consecutive such games back in 1964. No one has gotten as close to Harden to tying the record.
"I don't know if it was an emotional lift," Harden said according to ESPN. "I know that we had to win the game. I know we let one slip away last night, and it was another opportunity for us to win tonight. I don't know if it was an emotional lift, but I know it's crunch time in the sense that we've got three starters out and guys have got to pick up the slack. There's no excuse."
Harden's impressive performance comes after going 1-17 from the three-point line just a game ago against the Orlando Magic.
"I went 1-of-17? Shoot, that's a lot of 3s missed. Wow," Harden joked. "If I make six of them, it's on. It's a 60-point game. So, Orlando got lucky last night."
The Rockets are 25-18 on the season and currently sit in fourth place in the Western Conference.