James Harden posts another historic triple-double
Just when you thought James Harden was cooling off, he erupts with another monster triple-double.
Harden finished with 51 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists in the Houston Rockets 123-118 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night and became the first player in NBA history with more than one 50-point triple-double in a season.
Most Career 50+ Point Triple-Doubles
Harden previous 50+ point triple-double occurred on New Year’s Eve, when he tallied a career-high 53 points, 16 rebounds and 17 assists in a 129-122 victory over the Knicks.
Harden also matched Oscar Robertson’s single-season record of five 40-point triple-doubles.
And speaking of The Big O, Harden joins Robertson as the only players in NBA history to record at least 1,400 points, 400 rebounds and 500 assists through their first 50 games. Robertson did it three times (1961-62, 1963-64 and 1964-65).
Harden scored 15 points in the first half, 19 points in the third quarter and 17 in the final 8:19. Here’s a look at his shot chart.
Some other Harden nuggets:
– Harden scored or assisted on 80 of Houston’s 123 points
– The Rockets are 12-2 when Harden record a triple-double
– Harden has posted 14 triple-doubles this season, matching Hakeem Olajuwon’s total in 16 seasons with the Rockets
