Rockets guard James Harden is voted into starting lineup for NBA All-Star Game.
James Harden checked off another box on his ambitious career to-do list on Thursday.
Harden has played in every All-Star game since he has been with the Rockets. He twice started, filling in for Kobe Bryant. In the past two games, he averaged 26 points.
But he never had been voted in as a starter.
On Thursday, Harden not only was the choice of fans to start the NBA AllStar Game on Feb. 19 in New Orleans, but in the first season with players and media also voting, he was a chosen as a starter in the balloting of all three groups.
“It shows we are winning,” Harden said. “It all comes with winning. We are winning and the fans show that they appreciate it.”
At 33-12, the Rockets have the third-best record in the NBA heading into Friday’s game against the Golden State Warriors.
Harden, the NBA’s second-leading scorer and assists leader, leads the league in double-doubles and has 13 triple-doubles this season, one shy of the 14 that Hakeem Olajuwon collected in his career for the Rockets’ franchise record.
Averaging 28.9 points and 11.6 assists per game, Harden’s scoring and assists have led to 57.2 Rockets points per game, which would surpass Nate Archibald’s NBA record of 56.8, set in the 1972-73 season. Averaging 8.3 rebounds, Harden is on pace to become the second player, joining Oscar Robertson, to average at least 28 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds.
Curry other West guard
Harden and Robertson are the only players to have four 40-point triple-doubles in a season. Harden is the only player in NBA history to have 50 points, 15 rebounds and 15 assists in a game, scoring a career-high 53 points with 17 assists and 16 rebounds against the New York Knicks on New Year’s Eve.
“He’s been killing it all year,” teammate Trevor Ariza said. “Since he got here, he’s been unbelievable. He continues to get better. The scary part is he can get better. He still has a lot of room to grow.”
Harden will not reunite with his former Oklahoma City teammates Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook in the Western Conference’s starting lineup. Durant, Golden State’s leading scorer, was named a starter. Though Westbrook is on pace to be the first player to average a triple-double since Robertson in 1962, he was not named a starter.
The Warriors’ Stephen Curry, the two-time MVP who is averaging 24.6 points and 6.1 assists, took the guard spot next to Harden. San Antonio’s Kawhi Leonard and New Orleans’ Anthony Davis are the other starters.
Curry, Harden and Westbrook were tied in the voting system, but Curry was named the starter in the tiebreaker because he won the fan voting.
“The West is just stacked, period,” Harden said. “You have Steph and Anthony Davis, Kawhi. It’ll be fun. That weekend is always fun, just to be around guys and take a break and enjoy each other.
“Being a part of All-Star Weekend is always a blessing. You don’t want to ever take that for granted. It shows I’m playing at a high level.”
Best in the East
The Eastern Conference starters brought no surprises: Cleveland guard Kyrie Irving, Toronto guard DeMar DeRozan, Cleveland forward LeBron James, Milwaukee forward/guard Antetokounmpo and Chicago guard/forward Jimmy Butler.
DeRozan and Boston guard Isaiah Thomas tied, but DeRozan won the tiebreaker of the fan vote.
The Cavaliers and Warriors, the past two NBA champions, are the only teams with multiple starters. The next-closest Rocket to Harden was Eric Gordon, who finished seventh among Western Conference guards. (Ryan Anderson received eight votes from NBA players, Trevor Ariza five, Tyler Ennis two and Pat Beverley, Clint Capela and Sam Dekker one each.)
Harden had said Tuesday he was not concerned with the All-Star voting, or the MVP voting to come in a few months.
“Truly, I just focus on these guys and having fun and winning as many games as we can,” he said. “Just enjoying the process. It’s an honor. It’s humbling. It shows I’m playing well and at a high level. I just have to continue to do it. It’s the only way our team is going to have success.”