After 32 consecutive games with 30 or more points, James Harden finally saw his unbelievable scoring streak come to an end on Monday night in a 119-111 win over the Hawks.
Harden finished with 28 points, five rebounds, and four assists in the win over Atlanta, backing up their win over the Warriors on Saturday. The reigning MVP was just 7-of-21 from the field, missing all 10 of his three-point attempts, but had his customary 14-of-16 night from the free throw line.
It was Harden’s worst scoring performance in over two months, but he’ll happily trade that for another win to keep Houston solidly in the middle of the playoff race in the West. In the long run, Harden’s streak ending in rather unassuming fashion on a Monday night against the Hawks could be a good thing for the Rockets — and Harden didn’t even try for a late shot to extend the streak in the closing seconds.
James Harden had 28 points and decided NOT TO SHOOT to snap his streak of 32 straight games with 30 points or more 🤔 (via @FOXSports) pic.twitter.com/hXFpHSRzug
— Overtime (@overtime) February 26, 2019
The streak no longer lingers in the back of anyone’s mind, from Harden to his teammates to the fans, and now that they’re closer to full strength with Chris Paul and Clint Capela back in the lineup, they can keep focus on trying to play good quality team ball as they gear up for the playoffs.
Still, 32 consecutive games of 30 or more points is as impressive an offensive performance as we’re likely to see over a stretch of nearly half a season in the modern NBA and should be celebrated as such. Whether that’s enough to earn Harden the MVP for a second straight year remains to be seen, but even for an individual reward, the most important thing for his candidacy will be the Rockets looking like a title contender again.
