Video: James Harden Scores at Least 30 Points for 20th Consecutive Game

Houston Rockets star James Harden hit the 30-point mark for the 20th straight game in his team's 121-93 defeat to the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday.

Harden finished with 37 points on 12-of-26 shooting.

Harden Goes Off for 37 Pts vs. 76ers

ESPN.com's Tim Bontemps noted why Harden's 30-point streak is so significant:

Wilt Chamberlain once had a stretch of 65 games with at least 30 points, so The Big Dipper's mark isn't yet under serious threat from the reigning NBA MVP.

While Harden performed well, the game as a whole served to underscore the Rockets' current limitations with Chris Paul and Clint Capela out of action.

Harden was just one of three Houston players to score in double figures, and the Rockets as a team shot 36.0 percent from the field and 26.2 percent from beyond the arc. Take Harden out of the equation, and Rockets players were a collective 19-of-60 shooting (31.7 percent).

Harden's one-man show increases his odds of beating out Giannis Antetokounmpo in the 2019 MVP race, but is it sustainable over the course of a season?

According to Basketball Reference, Harden's 40.06 percent usage rate is on pace to be the second-highest ever. Russell Westbrook (41.65 percent) owns the all-time mark, which he set during his MVP-winning season in 2016-17. Not coincidentally, the Oklahoma City Thunder lost to the Rockets in the first round of the playoffs that year.

Like Westbrook, Harden appears headed for a year that is otherworldly from a statistical perspective but ends with an underwhelming postseason outcome.