Is there any doubt who the MVP this season is? James Harden has been phenomenal all season, leading the Houston Rockets to an over-achieving (at least based on expectations) 36-15 record.
Harden showcased his stellar season once again, this time doing so on national television. Against the upstart Philadelphia 76ers, Harden showed why he’s been the best player in the NBA this season with another historic effort, taking the spotlight away from Joel Embiid if only for one game.
51 points. 13 rebounds. 13 assists.
You know how we say those kind of stats are “video game numbers?” It’s incredibly difficult to pull that off in 2K. (I’m also not good at 2K.)
This was Harden’s fifth 50-point game since joining the Rockets via trade. That’s more than Elvin Hayes, more than Moses Malone, and even more than the legendary Hakeem Olajuwon.
It was also the second time this season that Harden has accomplished scoring 50 points while putting up a triple-double. It’s the first time in NBA history that someone has done that multiple times in one year.
In short, yeah, James Harden is pretty good at this basketball thing. He’s making his mark on the NBA by leading his team and putting up ridiculous numbers while doing it. For my money, no one else is close to deserving the MVP over him.
