James Harden isn’t putting up triple-doubles at the rate of Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Russell Westbrook, but he’s doing so with an efficiency on offense that we’ve never seen before.
For the second time this season, Harden posted a triple-double with 50 or more points in a 123-118 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on the road Friday night at the Wells Fargo Center.
In 39 minutes of action, the All-Star guard scored 51 points on 16-of-28 shooting from the field, 6-of-11 from behind the arc, and 13-of-14 from the charity stripe. He also grabbed 13 rebounds and dished out 13 assists for his 14th triple-double of the 2016-17 campaign and 24th of his career.
Never before in league history has anyone ever dropped at least 50 in a game and recorded a triple-double on two separate occasions in the same season. Five of his 14 triple-doubles also included 40 or more points, which ties the legendary Oscar Robertson (1963-64) for the record.