James Harden extended his NBA record scoring and assists streak as he secured a thrilling overtime win for the Houston Rockets at the Golden State Warriors with one second to spare.
The 29-year-old was the talk of social media for a display which ended with a 25ft three-pointer to seal a 135-134 win at the Warriors’ Oracle Arena.
Harden delivered 44 points meaning he has at least 35 points and five assists in a record nine consecutive games.
The Rockets have won their past six.
They have also now won 11 of their past 12 games, taking them to fourth in the Western Conference.
‘James Harden is on one’
Harden hit double figures for points, rebounds (10) and assists (15) to seal his fifth triple-double of the season.
The NBA’s Most Valuable Player in 2018 again grabbed the limelight, scoring the final three points of regulation before doing the same in overtime shortly after Steph Curry had given the Warriors the lead.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr described Harden’s performance as “incredible”, adding: “He made the impossible shot at the end.”
Harden – a six-time NBA All-Star – was the number-one trend on Twitter and told NBA.com: “Yesterday I was in the same spot shooting them same shots. I was confident it was going to go in.
“The entire team man, that’s what it’s about. We have to keep going. We finally got our rhythm.”
Miami Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade posted on social media shortly after Harden’s winning play: “Sheesh! James Harden is on one.”
Thirty of Harden’s points came from three-pointers as the Rockets outscored the Warriors 63-42 from beyond the arc.
Golden State’s Kevin Durant said: “Just tip your cap to James. The time he plays and how much he has the ball in his hands you expect him to score a lot. He’s such a phenomenal player.”
Curry contributed 35 points for the Warriors but was unable to prevent the 2017 and 2018 NBA champions slipping to a third straight home defeat.
