HARDEN POURS IN 47 AS ROCKETS TOP JAZZ
Harden takes over down the stretch with a flurry of points, including two 3s, to foil Utah, stretch win streak to four
James Harden had carried the Rockets long into the night. He had put in step-back 3s. He had piled up steals. He had even thrown down a vicious righthanded slam over Jazz shot-swatter Rudy Gobert.
He needed to do more. The ball and game in his hands, Harden had to deliver one more run. But to find Harden at his best lately, one need only to check out the Jazz.
With the Jazz at their best, something seems to trigger Harden.
Since the Jazz blasted the Rockets last week, Harden has been on his best roll of the season. When the Jazz repeatedly made moves to challenge the Rockets on Monday, erasing an 18-point lead, tying the game with two minutes left, he reached other levels. And when he needed to finish with one last burst, he drove the Rockets through the final minutes and to a 102-97 victory, giving them a four-game winning streak to match their best of the season.
In the five games since Harden scored 15 points in Utah, he has averaged 38.6 points on 50.9 percent shooting along with 7.6 assists, 6.6 rebounds and 2.2 steals.
“I know he’s the MVP and everything, but this level the last three or four games are really out there, as good as he ever played,” coach Mike D’Antoni said. “It’s just a determination that he has. He cares. Every big shot. Every big play. This is an MVP level. He’s been that way the past week and for the right reasons. He’s been playing this way for a little bit.”
Chris Paul went further. It’s more than the best he had seen Harden play.
“He’s the best offensive player I’ve ever seen,” Paul said. “I mean, seriously. He can drive. He can shoot. He’s got ball-handling. It’s going to be a tough night for whoever it is. I don’t care what you’re doing.”
With 47 points, six rebounds, five assists
and five steals, he has twice had at least 45 points with five assists, rebounds and steals in a game. Since Harden’s rookie season, 2009-10, no one else since Michael Jordan has reached those levels in multiple games.
Asked if he knew what triggered this most recent run, Harden said he did, but quickly added, “I can’t tell you, though.”
It is a good bet that it has something to do with the Rockets’ struggles to string together wins. They moved better than .500 for the first time since Thanksgiving.
“You look at the standings, it sucks, man,” Harden said. “We’re not where we’re supposed to be. We just continue to work and build our way up there.”
Harden scored 13 of the Rockets’ 19 fourth-quarter points, including eight in the final two minutes capped by a dagger 3 with 13.3 seconds left.
When the Jazz rallied to within four in the third quarter, Harden scored nine points in 90 seconds, twice finishing through Gobert fouls for 3-point plays. When no other Rockets player scored for seven fourth-quarter minutes, Harden put in a jumper and a 3-pointer to keep the Rockets in front. Paul finally scored, but with a Donavan Mitchell drive and Gobert tip, the game headed to the final two minutes tied.
Harden had not left the floor in the final quarter and had made just 2 of 8 shots, but he had enough left.
“I don’t know if you call it pacing,” he said. “I’m always aggressive. Throughout the course of the game, you figure out what works and what doesn’t work. Some things you put in your back pocket to where late in the game if you get those opportunities you capitalize on them.”
He went back to the 3-point line, sinking a 29-footer to halt the Jazz run. With 54.6 seconds left, he was fouled on another step-back 3 — with the Jazz contending it was a step, step, step-back 3-pointer — and gave the Rockets a five-point lead. Finally, with 13.3 seconds left, he hit a final 3-pointer to put the game away and complete a spectacular five-game run since the Rockets left Utah.
“With him, I could tell in the first quarter,” guard Eric Gordon said. “He was scoring relentlessly at the rim. James made a lot of tough shots. There’s nothing you can do about those kinds of plays.
“What he’s been doing over the past couple weeks, I haven’t seen too many players do that. I mean, it’s definitely amazing and it’s definitely fun to watch.”