Harden with his 20th 40+ game this season

[Marchesk]

That's fifth best for a season in the last 50 years (since end of the 60s).

Jordan - 37
Kobe - 27
Jordan - 22
McAdoo - 21
Harden - 20 (in 50 games played so far)


In the last ten years, Harden has the most 40+ games:

Harden - 68
Durant - 54
Lebron - 40
Westbrook - 39
Curry - 37

The next closest 40 point scorer this season are Curry and Davis with 7.

Who would have thought James Harden would turn out to become the most prolific scorer since Kobe Bryant when he was traded to the Rockets?

[FireDavidKahn]

Inb4 he has no skill and a manufactured star

[LoneyROY7]

Keep downplaying Harden. We love it. :applause:

[SaltyMeatballs]

And we still have 29 games left... :applause:

[The Iron Fist]

Keep downplaying Harden. We love it. :applause:
Whats to downplay? His record in the finals?:rockon:

[ImKobe]

Can't wait to see him put up these statlines in big Playoff games.

[And1AllDay]

Keep downplaying Harden. We love it. :applause:

The beard is in beast mode

[Mask the Embiid]

13thbe

[Smook A.]

Harden now has as many 40 point games this season as Dirk has had in his entire 21 year career. Definitely something worth sharing

[Marchesk]

Harden now has as many 40 point games this season as Dirk has had in his entire 21 year career. Definitely something worth sharing

That's crazy. Harden also has more career 40 point games than:

West
Lebron
Durant
Dominique
Shaq
Bird

He's only two back of Kareem. :eek:

[Rico2016]

13thbe

14be after Harden and Giannis come thru :eek:

[Celtics 1825]

That's more impressive than the 25+ 30 point streak to me, but both are insane

[tanibanana]

The basketball world will run out of adjectives...

3rd greatest SG.. :bowdown:

[Rico2016]

That's more impressive than the 25+ 30 point streak to me, but both are insane

Really? The 25+ 30 point streak means you can't lay an egg for a quarter of a season and then some. Can't even have one bad game. I think 30 straight 30 point games is way harder than 20x 40 point games in a season

[Celtics 1825]

Really? The 25+ 30 point streak means you can't lay an egg for a quarter of a season and then some. Can't even have one bad game. I think 30 straight 30 point games is way harder than 20x 40 point games in a season
That's true, but I feel like it's really not been too hard for Harden to hit 30 (as we've seen) since he basically has to do all the scoring work for Houston. 40 points is really on another level though and is significantly more difficult to hit on a consistent basis, and the fact that he's gotten to that point in almost half the games so far is just incredible to me.

[4pointshot]

Kobe on Harden:


“I’m not a fan of it in terms of winning championships,” Bryant said of Harden’s ball dominance. “I don’t think that style’s ever gonna win championships. But at the same time, you have to keep your team’s head above water to win games. You have to do what you have to do to win games. And he’s doing that.”

That take coming from that player is sure to raise some chuckles in NBA fan circles. Bryant was one of the game’s great gunners, a shooter who always shot his shot and didn’t hesitate to take over the ball. He also did so in a considerably less efficient manner than Harden does.

Harden vs. Bryant
Harden’s style of step-back 3s and living at the free-throw line may be difficult to watch. But it’s also highly effective.

His career effective field goal percentage of 52.4 percent is better than Bryant’s best season when he logged a 50.4 effective field goal rate in 2012-13.

Simply put, Harden has done more with his shots over his career than Bryant ever did in a single season.

https://sports.yahoo.com/kobe-bryant-james-hardens-style-im-not-fan-terms-winning-championships-024448005.html

[chains5000]

Chamberlain had 63 40+ point games in a season.
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/chambwi01/gamelog/1962/

[TMac&Luther]

Chamberlain had 63 40+ point games in a season.
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/chambwi01/gamelog/1962/

He also played in a era that averaged 30 more possessions a game.. that's about a whole other quarter of shots.

[Rico2016]

He also played in a era that averaged 30 more possessions a game.. that's about a whole other quarter of shots.

Plus the league was rife with 6'6 200-pound centers

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8xr3i9jpiTE/maxresdefault.jpg