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James Harden is one of the most creative offensive players in the NBA today. His ability to take advantage of defenses shifting out of position and drawing fouls is unmatched. Attempting a career average of 8.7 free throws a game, Harden has all defenders on notice.
With his keen sense of scoring and his ability to split the defense to find his bigs in the dunker's spot, Harden is a walking triple-double machine. His ability to drop dimes at will make him even more lethal as he drives to the hoop.
James Harden began his NBA career with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2009. Their young core, consisting of Harden at sixth man alongside Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka, would face off against LeBron James and the Miami Heat in the 2012 NBA Finals.
He would then go on to play for the Houston Rockets, where he would emerge as a superstar caliber player. Playing alongside stars like Dwight Howard and Chris Paul and reuniting with former teammate Russell Westbrook along the way.
After a disappointing end to the 2019-20 playoffs, James Harden would eventually demand a trade and would go on to join the Brooklyn Nets in the 2020-21 season.
Putting on an offensive display each season after his trade to the Rockets, Harden averaged 36.1 points and 34.3 points per game in his last two seasons with the Rockets, respectively. He won his first NBA MVP award in the 2017-18 season.
With a known potency for offensive ingenuity, here are five of James Harden's highest scoring games in the NBA.
#1 Harden goes off for 61 points vs New York Knicks: 23/01/2019
James Harden put on an offensive clinic in this performance against the Knicks. Shooting 44.7% from the field and 88% from the charity stripe, James Harden drew a total of 25 fouls and attempted 38 shots to get to 61 points. Harden shot only 25% from beyond the arc.
James Harden took advantage of the poor matchup situations this young and inexperienced Knicks team created. Often being matched up with Tim Hardaway Jr. or Emmanuel Mudiay, Harden managed to get his shot over them at will.
Harden also recorded 15 rebounds along with four assists and five steals for the game.
#2 James Harden scores 61 points against the San Antonio Spurs: 22/03/2019
Two months after his stellar performance against the Knicks, James Harden dropped 61 points against the San Antonio Spurs.
Harden scored 61 points on 34 attempts from the field. Shooting 55.8% from the field and a whopping nine made threes, Harden also went 82.3% from the charity stripe. He attempted 17 free throws for the game.
James Harden brought the Rockets back from the brink of losing to win the game in the fourth quarter.
#3 James Harden scores 60 against Atlanta: 30/11/2019
In a high-scoring game for the Rockets, James Harden scored 60 points against the Atlanta Hawks. The score for the game was 158-111.
Harden played only 31 minutes in the game. He shot 66.7% from the field and 57.1% from beyond the arc. He also went 87% from the charity stripe on 23 attempted free throws.
Harden's 60 points on 24 attempted field goals is the lowest number of attempts to get to 60 points in NBA history. The record was previously held by Jazz legend Karl Malone.
Harden also recorded eight assists, three steals and one block for the game. A dominating display of offensive prowess against the young Hawks side.
#4 James Harden goes off for 60 against Orlando: 30/01/2018
An offensive showcase in the truest sense. James Harden recorded a 60 point triple-double in this game against the Orlando Magic.
With a stat-line of 60 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists, the Houston Rockets beat the Orlando Magic 114-107. James Harden shot 63.3% from the field and 35.7% from beyond the arc. He also shot an impressive 94.4% from the free throw line, having attempted 18 free throws for the game.
James Harden singlehandedly outscored the entirety of the Magic's starting lineup in the game.
#5 James Harden gets 59 vs Washington: 30/10/2019
In this intense matchup against the Washington Wizards, James Harden's 59 points aided the Rockets' in winning 159-158. Harden and the Wizards' Bradley Beal went head-to-head in a heated scoring battle. Beal scored 46 points for the game.
Harden shot 56.3% from the field and 42.9% from downtown. With another 94.4% free throw shooting night, Harden secured a close victory over the Wizards. Harden also recorded nine assists and one steal for the game.
Harden mercilessly exploited his matchup against rookie Rui Hachimura. While also being covered by Wizards guard Isaac Bonga, James Harden would penetrate easily. He made big men in the help defender's position a lot more wary by using Clint Capela as a decoy, thus scoring at the rim with ease.
Both teams recorded poor defensive ratings for the game but it certainly was an offensive showcase by the leading superstars from both franchises.
Guess the Lakers players!
