After scoring a season-high 57 points in Houston’s win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday, James Harden was asked how he was able to put Sunday’s loss to Orlando, when he went one for 17 from three-point range, behind him so quickly.
“I went one for 17? That’s a lot of threes missed,” he said. “Oh wow.”
Then the reigning Most Valuable Player, who scored 38 points against the Magic despite that terrible statistic, got serious when asked if it is easy to forget about such a night.
Photo: Troy Taormina-USA Today
“Yeah, because if I make six of them it’s on,” he said. “It’s a 60-point game. So Orlando got lucky last night.”
Harden extended his streak of 30-point games to 17 by halftime, pouring in a franchise-record 36 points in the first half to send Houston on their way to a 112-94 victory.
It is the longest such streak since Wilt Chamberlain had 20 straight games of at least 30 points in 1964.
It was a franchise-record 14th time Harden had scored 40 points this season and the eighth time in his past 11 games. It was the third time he topped 50 points this season and the 12th time in his career.
He surpassed his previous season best of 54 against Washington and fell just shy of the career-high and club-record 60 points he scored in January last year against Orlando.
Houston teammate Austin Rivers, who joined the Rockets just three weeks ago, marveled at Harden’s ability to not let Sunday’s struggles spill over into Monday’s performance.
“He comes off a game where he was one for 17 and everybody’s saying whatever, and it just doesn’t even faze him. He just comes in tonight like he was 17 for 17,” Rivers said.
“That’s just the mindset that the great ones have,” Rivers added. “I’m telling you right now, if another player went one for 17 they would have come in tonight a little ... messed up. James comes in and that’s just why he is who he is, and it’s impressive.”
After his huge first half, the Grizzlies double-teamed Harden on most every possession in the first few minutes of the third quarter and he did not score again until there were about five minutes left in the period.
That basket was the start of an 11-0 run capped by a three-pointer from Harden that pushed the Rockets’ lead to 76-60 with about 3 minutes, 30 seconds remaining in the third.
A three-pointer by JaMychal Green got the Grizzlies within 12 later in the third, before Harden scored five quick points to make it 87-70.
Garrett Temple and Mike Conley scored 14 each for the Grizzlies, who lost for the eighth time in nine games.
Memphis coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who worked for the Rockets from 2011 to 2016, said his team tried to keep the ball out of Harden’s hands, but Houston do such a good job of putting him in different spots on the floor that it is difficult to do effectively.
“There’s so much space, so you have to give them credit and give him credit just for the talent he is and the impact he has on the game,” Bickerstaff said.
Also on Monday, it was:
‧ Hornets 108, Spurs 93
‧ Nets 109, Celtics 102
‧ Jazz 100, Pistons 94
‧ Kings 115, Trail Blazers 107
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