James Harden, Rockets Hold Off Hawks Despite Trae Young's 42 Points

James Harden posted 41 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds as the Houston Rockets defeated the host Atlanta Hawks 122-115 at State Farm Arena on Wednesday.

Harden and the Rockets survived a fantastic effort from Hawks point guard Trae Young, who torched the opposition with 42 points, 13 rebounds and 10 dimes.

Harden and Young's dueling 40-point double-doubles marked a first in NBA history, per Elias Sports (h/t ESPN Stats & Info):

Harden shot just 9-of-34 from the field and 4-of-20 from three-point range but went 19-of-23 from the free-throw line for his fourth straight game of 35 or more points.

The big men on both sides were excellent complementary players for the two stars. The Rockets' Clint Capela dropped a 22-point, 22-rebound double-double, and the Hawks' John Collins had 17 points, 14 boards and four blocks.

The Rockets scored 45 first-quarter points and led by as many as 23 in the second quarter, but the Young-led Hawks stormed back and cut the lead to three points on multiple occasions in the fourth. A pair of Alex Len free throws made it 118-115 with 18.7 seconds left.

However, Harden iced the game from the line with four free throws to seal the win.

The 25-11 Rockets won their third straight. The 8-30 Hawks lost their second consecutive game.

Notable Performances

Rockets G James Harden: 41 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists

Rockets C Clint Capela: 22 points, 22 rebounds

Rockets G Ben McLemore: 18 points, 3 rebounds

Hawks G Trae Young: 42 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists

Hawks F/C John Collins: 17 points, 14 rebounds, 4 blocks

Hawks C Alex Len: 14 points, 10 rebounds

Clint Capela Continues Dominant Stretch

At this juncture, the Western Conference playoff picture looks like a grouping featuring the 30-7 Los Angeles Lakers well out in front, six teams chasing second place and the rest of the West (minus perhaps the Golden State Warriors) shooting for the final playoff spot.

The Rockets are near the front of the pack in the second-place grouping, and that's largely due to Capela's recent efforts.

The 25-year-old big man has come through in the last three games, starting with a 16-point, 10-rebound performance against the second-place Denver Nuggets. That night helped Houston earn a 130-104 win.

Then Capela and the Rockets welcomed All-Star big man Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers into town on Jan. 3. The battle of the centers went to Capela, whose 30 points and 14 boards were the catalyst for the Rockets' 118-108 victory.

The Rockets entered their game against the Hawks as heavy favorites despite missing Russell Westbrook (rest), but Capela had to fill a role as the team's second scorer behind Harden.

He had no problem doing that en route to his fourth game of at least 20 points and 20 rebounds this season, scoring his 22 on an efficient 9-of-14 clip.

The Harden-Capela chemistry showed itself once again:

Capela also launched this dunk over Hawks rookie De'Andre Hunter:

The 6'10" center has also found himself on a list where only the great Hakeem Olajuwon is ahead of him:

He joined some great company this year too:

Most impressively, half of Capela's 22 boards were on the offensive glass.

The big man is going to need to be great in the playoffs for the Rockets to have a chance at making their first NBA Finals in 25 years. The Lakers look like the West's clear front-runners, and a host of talented teams are right below them in the standings.

But Capela's impressive run here brings hope that he might turn it up an extra gear in the postseason.

Young Posts Historic Stat Line

Few things in the NBA are more exciting than one of Young's occasional game-long heat checks, which took place yet again Wednesday.

The 21-year-old Young has contributed a few more of those lately, with 40 or more points in four of his last nine outings. If not for NBA MVPs Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo and future MVP (some day) Luka Doncic, Young would be leading the league in scoring.

But Young's vision has also been exceptional as well, like on these lobs to Collins:

Of course, Young had no issues launching long three-pointers or knifing into the lane for two:

Young's performance didn't result in a win, but it placed him in great company.

He became just the 31st player in league history to amass at least 43 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in one game, per Kevin Keneely. He's also the youngest person to ever do so, beating out NBA legend Oscar Robertson by eight months.

All of the players on that list are either Hall of Famers (e.g., Robertson or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) or will be (e.g., Westbrook and Vince Carter).

The wins aren't coming for Young and the Hawks, who are based around a host of early 20-something players developing on the fly.

But the Hawks have their superstar to build around in Young, whose rapid ascendance puts Atlanta in position to become a winning team again.

What's Next?

The Rockets will visit the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday at 9:30 p.m. ET in Chesapeake Energy Arena. Atlanta will head to Washington, D.C., for a 7 p.m. Friday matchup with the Wizards at the Verizon Center.