James Harden's incredible season continues.
In the Houston Rockets' 138-134 overtime victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, the reigning MVP scored a game-high 48 points on 14-for-30 shooting from the field, 8-for-19 from 3-point range and 12-for-15 from the three throw line.
Harden now has 11 40-point games this season. New Orleans Pelicans centre Anthony Davis has the next-most with seven, followed by Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry with five.
Harden also recorded his 19th straight 30-point game in the process. The only other player in NBA history to score at least 30 points in 19 consecutive games is Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain.
James Harden has joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in NBA history to score at least 30 points in 19 straight games. pic.twitter.com/Jt5aPwiIoq
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 20, 2019
Harden got some help from Eric Gordon against the Lakers, as the 2016-17 Sixth Man of the Year was Houston's second-leading scorer with 30 points.
Gordon scored the biggest basket of the night to tie the game at 120 with 2.0 seconds remaining in regulation. He then went on to score 10 of his team's 18 points in overtime, the bulk of his damage coming from the free throw line.
Harden missed two of his six free throw attempts and three of his four shots in the overtime period, but the one shot he did hit gave the Rockets an early six point lead.
🚀🚀🚀 pic.twitter.com/HTs6H5nLcT
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) January 20, 2019
A number of players stepped up for the Lakers in the loss. Kyle Kuzma got them started with 24 points in the first half, Lance Stephenson and Ivica Zubac scored 23 of their combined 33 points off the bench in the second half and Brandon Ingram carried them in overtime with 11 points.
Lonzo Ball was also having a strong game for the Lakers — he had nine assists in the first half alone — but the point guard suffered an ankle injury in the third quarter that sidelined him for the remainder of the game.
According to Mike Trudell of Lakers.com, X-Rays on his ankle came back negative.
The Rockets will be back in action on Monday, when they travel to Philadelphia to take on the 76ers.