Welcome to the NBA Hangover. We jot down NBA stuff mostly from last night that we want to talk about. Check it out.
James Harden breaks the scoreboard again.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Erik Williams/USA Today.)
So James Harden does it again. He scored 60 points in three quarters in a blowout win over the poor Atlanta Hawks.
While people continue to selectively marvel over other individual stats, I can tell you that I will continue to be wowed by what James Harden’s doing. He seems to have unlocked the game of basketball in terms of scoring. It’s almost like it’s too easy for him. I don’t think it’s inconceivable that he can keep up the torrid pace he’s going now. And if he does, he would have the third highest scoring average in a season in NBA history. Wilt Chamberlain went for 50.4 PPG in 1961-62 and then scored 44.8 PPG the following year. Remember that Harden averaged 36.2 PPG last season.
So of course, people are wondering if Kobe Bryant‘s (yeah, yeah, I know) 81 points can be overtaken. After all, Kobe did go for 62 points in three quarters. And Klay Thompson also went for 60 in three quarters as well. And nearly four years ago, Devin Booker had a 70-point game.
Bryant was able to get 81 points because the Lakers were down against the Raptors (which turned into a Laker blowout of sorts). The Rockets were winning by 54 POINTS after three when Harden got that 60. When Klay got his 60, the Warriors were smashing the Pacers by 33 points after three. And Kobe outscored the Mavericks, 62-61, after three quarters. So to get that upwards of 80, that individual has to be locked into a close game so he can play all four quarters.
Lastly, Harden has four 60-point games in his career (all in the last three seasons). He tied Michael Jordan for most 60-point games in an NBA regular season career (Jordan and Elgin Baylor are the only players to score 60 in the NBA playoffs). Only Wilt (32) and Kobe (6) have more 60-point games.
So yeah. I’ll reiterate that James Harden’s game isn’t the prettiest at times. But maybe he’ll average 40 points in a season. Or maybe he’ll score 85 points in a game. What he’s doing right now is simply remarkable.
Bullet Passes
While Rockets fans will continue until the end of time about Harden should’ve won MVP last season (and the 2016-17 season, too, when Russell Westbrook won), Giannis Antetokounmpo is having better stats this year than his MVP campaign last season. Giannis is at 30.9 points (27.7 last year), 13.4 boards (12.5 last year), 5.9 assists (same as last year), 1.4 blocks, and 1.5 steals this season.
It also feels like he’s doing it all by himself, too. Khris Middleton is still a good second option but he just came back from his injury. Eric Bledsoe hasn’t been shooting well as of late. Brook Lopez hasn’t been great outside. And there’s no more Malcolm Brogdon to fall back to. Yet they’ve won 11 straight games. Milwaukee continues to be the #1 team in the East at 17-3.
The bad news is that Giannis fell one board short on starting the season with 20 double-doubles. Whoops.
I suppose this is what Harrison Barnes was signed for. He scored 30 in a comeback win against the Denver Nuggets. The Kings are now 8-10 (8-5 since that 0-5 start) while the Nuggets had their 6-game win streak broken.
As the NBA walks into December, there are still four teams who are unbeaten at their home floor. The defending champion Raptors are 8-0. The surprising Miami Heat are also 8-0. The Boston Celtics are 7-0. And the Philadelphia 76ers are 9-0 after what happened in the play below:
Watch This Play
Ben Simmons did his best Deion Sanders imitation (forgive me; I’m old) by intercepting and stealing three passes in the last 14 seconds.
(VIDEO CREDIT: CliveNBAParody.)
Simmons literally stole the game away from the Pacers, who were up by that time. What a way to protect home court.
Rey-Rey is on Twitter at @TheNoLookPass.
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