Image Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports

On This Day: James Harden sets record with historic triple-double

Harden scored 60 points as part of a triple-double.

Image Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports

James Harden, now in his 16th season in the NBA, continues to perform at an elite level. The 2009 third overall pick, drafted out of Arizona State, has had another standout season with the Los Angeles Clippers, averaging 21.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 8.4 assists per game. His consistent run this season earned his 11th selection to the NBA All-Star Game.

One of the most memorable moments of his career came on January 30, 2018, when Harden scored 60 points as part of a triple-double, becoming the first ever player in NBA to do so. In a 114-107 home win over the Orlando Magic, Harden not only led the Houston Rockets to a crucial win but also set a new franchise scoring record. His 60-point performance broke the previous record of 57 points, held by Rockets legend Calvin Murphy since 1978.

Harden’s extraordinary feat came in a game where he played a staggering 46 minutes and 26 seconds, which was a career high for a regulation game for the former MVP. He would later surpass this milestone in a January 20, 2021, matchup against the Cavaliers, playing a career-best 51 minutes.

“It’s a good feeling, I guess,” Harden reflected after the game. “Just try to go out there and make an impact every single night on the game, however I can. Whether it’s scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, whatever it is. And tonight, I guess I was doing everything.”

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Over his tenure with the Rockets, Harden averaged 29.6 points, 7.7 assists, and 6.0 rebounds per game across 621 games. He led the league in scoring three times and was named the NBA Most Valuable Player in 2018. Despite his individual success, Harden’s relationship with the Rockets soured, leading to his trade to the Brooklyn Nets in 2021.

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Swati Bhatia

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I work as a content strategist, specializing in creating engaging content about the NBA, WNBA, and MLB. My main focus is on writing breaking news updates, research-based articles, and covering trending topics. Right now, I’m leading the content team for the NBA, WNBA, and MLB categories at Playoffs English.