Reigning MVP James Harden continues to set the league on fire.
In the Houston Rockets' most recent win vs. the Atlanta Hawks, Harden led from the front with a near triple-double of 31 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds. Postgame, however, nobody was talking about the near triple-double.
It was all about the 31 points.
James Harden was hot all night for the @HoustonRockets in Atlanta! 🔥
— NBA TV (@NBATV) March 20, 2019
📊: 31 PTS | 8 REB | 10 AST #Rockets pic.twitter.com/qttH1uXvoO
That 31 points meant Harden becomes the first player in NBA history to have scored at least 30 points against every opponent in the league.
🚀 @JHarden13 becomes the first player in @NBAhistory to score 30+ points against all 29 opponents in the same season! #Rockets pic.twitter.com/czZFuYGULH
— NBA (@NBA) March 20, 2019
The two previous players who came mightily close to achieving this feat were Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
His 32-game streak of scoring 30+ points this season was the second longest in NBA history, only behind the 65-game tear by Wilt Chamberlain in 1961-62. Coincidentally, his streak was snapped in the team's previous clash against the Hawks in Houston on February 26th.
In this win in Atlanta, the Rockets also received key contributions from Chris Paul (13 points, 11 assists) and Clint Capela (26 points, 11 rebounds, 11-13 FGM) as they strengthened their hold on the third seed in the Western Conference.
For the Hawks, it was once again the young exciting duo of John Collins (20 points, 10 rebounds) and Trae Young (21 points, 12 assists) that impressed as the team suffered their third straight loss.