Getty Houston Rockets guard James Harden
James Harden has done his all to keep the Houston Rockets above water while injuries have attempted to derail their season. But an overtime loss to the Brooklyn Nets in which he poured in 58 points may have put him over the edge just a bit. Although the Nets have a solid and well-rounded roster, Harden has put the team on his back as of late, and an outcome like this has to be frustrating.
The end result was Harden shoving a camera in frustration after the game on his way to the locker room, as House of Highlights shows.
When you drop 58 and still lose to the Nets
The Rockets fell 145-142 in the game and it was another monster performance from the reigning MVP. He racked up the 58-point total by shooting 16-34 from the field and 21-23 from the free throw line. Along with that, Harden grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out six assists.
James Harden’s Exceptional Recent Stretch
Although Harden has been great all year long, his run since teammate Chris Paul went down with an injury has been unreal. He’s scored 35 or more points in 16 of 18 games while topping the 40-point mark on 11 occasions. Even though Wednesday was a loss for the Rockets, it marked the second game in a row Harden had topped 50 points, as he’s now gone for a combined 115 points in the three-day span.
He’s done all of this while the Rockets have been extremely shorthanded also. Along with Paul’s injury, fellow guard Eric Gordon returned from an eight-game absence Wednesday but left after 21 minutes due to injury. Beyond that, center Clint Capela suffered a thumb injury which will leave him out for four to six weeks.
If that’s not quite enough to understand Harden’s frustration, you can look at the fact the Rockets couldn’t come to terms on a long-term deal with productive two-way forward Danuel House. In turn, this meant he had to head back to the G League ahead of Wednesday’s game, leaving their roster with even less depth than before.
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