Getty James Harden
What Houston Rockets star James Harden has done as of late is nothing short of incredible. His play hasn’t just been worthy of the NBA’s Most Valuable Player Award, it’s placed him on a completely different level. But Harden’s dominance specifically over the past two games is in a realm that almost certainly has never been seen before.
And there’s a good chance NBA fans won’t see someone accomplish what Harden did Wednesday night ever again in NBA history. While Harden has poured in 115 points over the last two games, Mike Zavagno of Fear the Sword revealed that not a single one his baskets have been assisted.
James Harden has scored 57 or more points in 2 consecutive games.
ZERO of his made shots in those two games were assisted.
Not a single one
The two-game stretch may very well be the most dominant ever, but the fact he’s put up this many points without a single basket being assisted is almost impossible to believe.
James Harden’s Incredible Back-to-Back Performances
Harden’s latest red-hot run began with a 57-point game on 17-33 shooting during a win over the Memphis Grizzlies Monday night. While he tacked on nine rebounds, two assists and two steals, he also knocked down 6-15 shots from beyond the arc en route to the Rockets picking up a 112-94 victory.
Then came a tough 145-142 overtime loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night in which Harden poured in 58 points on 16-34 shooting. He made 21-23 free throw attempts and grabbed 10 rebounds while also dishing out six assists for good measure.
The 115 points alone over a three-day stretch in two games is eye-opening, but the fact he’s made 33 field goals and not one was assisted is hard to put into words. Along with the big total to begin this week, Harden has also scored 40-plus points in nine of Houston’s last 12 games as well.
Rockets’ Rough Injury Stretch
Depth has been hard to come by for the Rockets as of late, and that’s obviously played a big part in the above stat from Harden. Fellow All-Star guard Chris Paul has now missed 13 games due to a hamstring strain and he’s likely still a few weeks away from returning to the court.
Things got even worse for the Rockets just days ago when it was revealed that center Clint Capela suffered a thumb injury which will leave him sidelined between four to six weeks. Capela had been carrying a decent amount of the offensive workload to help Harden out, so it’s a brutal blow.
It did seem as though the Rockets were on the verge of catching a break when Eric Gordon returned from an eight-game absence on Wednesday but left after 21 minutes due to injury. The team’s roster continues to thin out and lose scorers in the process, meaning that a huge workload will continue to fall on Harden’s shoulders.
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