James Harden went absolutely nuts Friday in a 116-114 home win against the 76ers, which sent Philadelphia to its record-setting 27th straight regular season loss.
We understand the 76ers, now 0-17 and just one loss away from tying the NBA's worst start ever, don't pose the biggest threat on a nightly basis, but Harden's 50-point outburst, along with nine rebounds and eight assists, should not be overlooked.
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After starting the season in an abysmal shooting funk, Harden scored his 50 points on just 28 shots and went 16 of 20 from the free throw line. He also hit a nice buzzer beater to end the second quarter and was 6 of 12 from 3-point range.
Here's the best of his big night:
Check out highlights from @JHarden13's 50 point night! #Pursuit https://t.co/T0hnh5mPAN
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) November 28, 2015Houston led by 11 points heading into the final quarter, but Philadelphia made a run led by Robert Covington. Covington, normally a small forward, got a rare start at shooting guard and made the most of it. He finished the game with 28 points, seven rebounds, five assists and eight steals.
Despite the solid effort, the 76ers are now just one loss away from tying the 2009-10 New Jersey Nets for the worst start in NBA history at 0-18. The will try to avoid that dubious honor Sunday in Memphis against the 9-8 Grizzlies. Houston (6-10) travels to New York to face the Knicks (8-9) on Sunday.