The bearded beast James Harden scored a career-high 46 points Wednesday as his Houston Rockets defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 122-119.
Down 14 points in fourth quarter with just seven minutes to play, Harden led the Rockets’ comeback against his former team, knocking down several big three pointers in what was one of the most efficient scoring performances in the NBA this year.
Harden finished the night shooting 14-19 from the field, including an incredible 7-8 from beyond the arc. The bearded one also knocked down 11 of 12 free throw attempts while hauling in 8 rebounds and adding 6 assists.
“I just told the guys on the court that we’ve got to do whatever it takes, we’ve got to get some stops together and make some shots,” Harden said after the victory. “It’s not going to be easy, they’re a very good team. But we got some stops at the right time and guys made good shots.”
Houston guard Jeremy Lin also delivered a monster game, scoring 29 points on 12 for 22 shooting with 8 assists and 6 boards.
For the Thunder, Kevin Durant notched a triple-double with 16 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists, while Russell Westbrook added 28 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.
OKC’s Thabo Sefolosha also poured in a career-high 28 points of his own, but it wasn’t enough as the Thunder were handed their 15th loss of the season and third in a row.
“He hit some tough shots,” Durant said of Harden’s amazing 46-point performance. “That’s what great players do. He rode them to victory. He passed the ball well, he shot the ball well.”
Highlights from Wednesday night’s Rockets vs Thunder matchup can be seen in the video below:
Image: Posterizes.com