James Harden spent the entire fourth quarter on the bench Monday night in the Rockets' easy 131-115 win over the Suns, and he still finished with 32 points and 12 assists.
It's been that kind of year for the bearded one. The four-time All-Star posted his ninth game this season with 30 points and 10 assists, one more than he had all of last season.
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As good as Harden has been in his NBA career — he's scored more than 25 points per game each of the past four seasons — he's somehow taken his game to another level this year. He's once again scoring like a madman, posting 27.4 points per game. But he's taken a much more active role on the boards and running the offense, averaging career highs in assists (11.4 assists per game), and rebounds (7.9 rebounds per game).
We could give you the old cliché about how Harden is making his teammates better. Instead, we'll share this short clip of two straight Rockets possessions against the Suns where Harden fed Sam Dekker for big jams.
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The good news is, Harden is playing better than ever. The bad news is, he'll need to keep rolling that way all season and through the playoffs in a crowded Western Conference dominated at the top by the Warriors and the Spurs. The Rockets are currently third in the West at 23-9.
Stud of the day
Wizards forward Otto Porter Jr. erupted for 32 points on 13-of-18 shooting in his team's 107-102 win over the Bucks. He added 13 rebounds.
Dud of the day
The Hornets fell to the Nets Monday night, 120-118. Charlotte might have won that contest if Kemba Walker had his customary outing. But Walker had one of his worst shooting nights of the season (6-of-17 shooting, 1-of-5 from 3-point range), and he turned the ball over three times.
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Highlights
How do you thank your big man for stealing the ball and then hustling down the floor on the fast break? Let him finish it. Take it away, Dwight Howard:
Chinanu Onuaku made his NBA debut Monday, and made his first two free throws in his customary style — underhanded. Somewhere, Rick Barry is smiling.
What's next
Grizzlies (20-13) at Celtics (18-13), 7:30 p.m. — Rookie coach David Fizdale has the Grizzlies playing surprisingly well, behind veterans Marc Gasol (20.0 points per game) and Mike Conley (18.2 points per game). The Grizzlies will have their hands full trying to slow down Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas, who on Monday was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week. He averaged 33.3 points per game in leading Boston to a 3-1 mark during the week.