He did it again.
All-NBA guard James Harden scored 54 points against the Orlando Magic on Friday, marking the second consecutive game he topped 50 points … and hit 10 3-pointers. Per ESPN Stats & Info, the latter achievement makes Harden the second player to do so in NBA history, joining Stephen Curry, who did so in February 2016.
The prolific Rockets scoring champ shot 19-for-31 from the field — including 10-for-15 on 3-pointers and 6-for-6 at the free-throw line — adding 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals and 3 blocks in 36 minutes. Houston won going away, 130-107.
54 PTS
10 3PM
🐐 pic.twitter.com/fCnJuLbaBj— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) December 14, 2019
Incredibly, it’s the third time Harden has gone for 50 back-to-back in this calendar year:
- Jan. 14 vs. Memphis (57 points) & Jan. 16 vs. Brooklyn (58; OT)
- March 20 vs. Memphis (57 points) & March 22 vs. San Antonio (61; OT)
Earlier in the game, Harden passed Paul Pierce for eighth on the all-time 3-point leaderboard, sinking the 2,144th triple of his career in the second quarter.
The Rockets guard boosted his league-high scoring average to 39.3.
