James Harden Makes 20 Free Throws for 2nd Time This Season
Houston Rockets guard James Harden is the only player in the NBA to make 20 or more free throws in a game this season and has now accomplished the feat twice within a matter of just five days, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
Harden led the Rockets to a 110-100 road victory over the Indiana Pacers on Monday, making 21 of his 22 free-throw attempts as part of a 44-point performance.
He also made 10 of his 21 shots from the field, including three of his eight tries from beyond the arc. And, as if all that scoring wasn't enough, Harden added four rebounds, seven assists, two blocks and two steals with only four turnovers in a whopping 43 minutes.
Just four days earlier, Harden made 22 of his 25 attempts from the charity stripe in a 118-108 win over the Denver Nuggets, finishing with a season-high 50 points over 40 minutes.
Oddly enough, he struggled badly in the game sandwiched between his two monstrous outings, putting up just 16 points, two rebounds and five assists in Saturday's 117-102 loss to the Phoenix Suns.
Of course, whatever damage the middle game might have done to his MVP candidacy, Harden more than made up for it Monday night.
He owns a modest 43.9 field-goal percentage for the season but gets to the line more often than any other player in the league, averaging 10.1 free-throw attempts per game.
Over the last 20 seasons, only Harden, Dwyane Wade, Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant have recorded multiple games in a season with 20 or more successful free throws, according to ESPN Stats & Info. Arguably even more impressive is the fact that Harden is responsible for the NBA's last three such games, having made 22 free throws in a Dec. 26, 2013 game against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Of course, while the statistical feats should help his MVP candidacy, Harden is up against guys like Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis, all of whom have made their own marks on the NBA's record books.
