HOUSTON – Houston Rockets guard James Harden was named today by the NBA as Western Conference Player of the Week for games played Monday, Dec. 22 through Sunday, Dec. 28. It marks the second time this season he has won the award and the seventh such honor of his career (Player of the Week for weeks ending: 11/4/12, 1/6/13, 3/24/13, 3/2/14, 3/9/14 and 12/14/14). With seven Player of the Week Honors, Harden ties Tracy McGrady for the second most of such honors in franchise history (Olajuwon, 12). This is the third consecutive season Harden has won multiple Western Conference Player of the Week Honors and it marks the 13th time a Rockets player has won multiple Player of the Week Honors in the same season overall.
Harden (6-5, 220, Arizona State) averaged 34.7 points (.557, 34-61 FG; .474, 9-19 3FG; .900, 27-30 FT), 7.3 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 1.0 blocks in leading Houston to a 2-1 week with a home win over the Portland Trail Blazers and a road win over the Memphis Grizzlies. The 34.7 points per game led all Western Conference scorers in the week. He started the week with his NBA leading third performance of 40 points or more with a 44 point, seven assist and five steal performance in just 31 minutes played against the Portland Trail Blazers on Dec. 22, tying his season-high for points (previously set on 12/11 at Sacramento). This made Harden only the fifth player in NBA history to reach the 40 point, five assist and five steal plateau in less than 35 minutes of playing time. It also made Harden the only player in franchise history to reach the plateau multiple times (Olajuwon and Drexler each did it once). Harden proceeded to pour in 32 points and 10 assists in a road win over the Memphis Grizzlies on 12/26. This marked Harden’s NBA leading 12th game with 30 or more points and his eighth double-double of the season. Harden finished the week 28 points and 5 assists against the San Antonio Spurs on 12/28.