James Harden Drops 49 Points on Career-High 41 Shots Without Russell Westbrook
With the Houston Rockets playing short-handed against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night, it was up to James Harden to carry the load on offense.
The 2017-18 NBA MVP was more than up for the task as he dropped 49 points in a 125-105 victory.
Houston did not have Russell Westbrook (rest), Eric Gordon (knee), Danuel House (back) and Gerald Green (likely out for the season with a foot injury) available Saturday. As a result, Harden let it fly early and often.
Harden took 17 shots in the first quarter alone, scoring 18 points in the process. He finished the game with a career-high 41 shots, going 8-of-19 from inside the arc and 8-of-22 from three-point range.
He also went 9-of-11 from the free-throw line.
Per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN), Harden's 41 field-goal attempts are the most by any player in the league this season, surpassing the 37 taken by Golden State Warriors guard D'Angelo Russell in an overtime loss at Minnesota on Nov. 8. Tim MacMahon of ESPN noted it was the highest total by any NBA player since 2016:
MacMahon added Westbrook (twice) and Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker are the only other active players to take 40-plus shots in a game.
Of course, Harden is no stranger to handling a heavy workload. He has shot at least 20 times in 11 of his 13 appearances this season, including each of the last seven. His season-high was 32 field-goal attempts against the Washington Wizards on Oct. 30.
Harden has now scored 44-plus points in three straight games, and he is averaging 43 points during the Rockets' seven-game winning streak.
