Historic night for Harden in Rockets win
JAMES Harden became the first player in NBA history to record a 60-point tripledouble as the short-handed Houston Rockets defeated the Orlando Magic 114-107 on Tuesday night.
The 60 points were a lso a franchise single game record as he surpassed Calv in Murphy, who scored 57 poi nt s in 1978.
Murphy was in attendance at the game as a member of t he Rockets’ Root Sports telev ision broadcasting crew.
Harden reached the 60-point milestone with a four-point play, stepping back and draining a 3-pointer while being fouled by Mario Hezonja.
Harden then made the free throw as the crowd rose to its feet.
Murphy smiled and clapped as his scoring mark fell by the wayside.
“Tonight I was ultra aggressive,” Harden said. “I was in attack mode.”
Harden collected his 10th rebound just moments later to earn his third triple-double this season. He made 17 of 18 free throws and was 19 of 30 from the field with five baskets from beyond the arc.
He also had four steals and one block.
Harden scored 18 points in the final quarter to record his ninth career 50-point game.
“I was so locked in and focused on how I could impact the game. Even the coach talking, I couldn’t hear him at all,” Harden said. “It feels like any other NBA game, other than I was trying to put the team on my back.
“I was just aggressive. It was a much needed win for us.”
NBA players took to social media to congratulate the 28-year-old Harden.
“C’mon @JHarden13!!! Now that’s insane G! 60 point Triple Dub. Sheesh!!” wrote Cleveland Cavaliers LeBron James.
Murphy tweeted, “Congratulations to @JHarden13 for breaking my record. I ’v e been honored to hold the #Rockets single game scoring record for 40 years. James you are a class act!”
Unaware of record
The prev ious NBA high for a triple double was 57 points by bot h Michael Jorda n i n December 1992 a nd Russell Westbrook back in March.
“I had 50, 52, 53 a couple of times. I didn’t know what the record was,” Harden said.
Ha rden, who g rew up i n sout h L os A ngeles nea r to where t he Wil l ia ms sisters tennis greats come from, was picked to play in t he 2018 AllStar Game in his hometown on Februar y 18.
“If I could do that, there that’s for sure the MVP. Hopefully I can put on a show there like I did tonight,” he said.
The game was tied 107-107 after a basket by Marreese Speights with just under four minutes to play. Neither team scored for more than two minutes after that, until Harden seized command, scoring six straight points to make it 113107 with 45 seconds left.
“Amazing and topped it off with a four-point play at the end,” coach Mike D’Antoni said. “But we had to have every minute from him.”