Harden ties Kobe for most consecutive 30-point games since merger
The Houston Rockets fell 116-109 to the Orlando Magic on Sunday evening, but it didn't stop James Harden from making history.
The 29-year-old scored 38 points to tie Kobe Bryant for the longest streak since the 1976-77 NBA-ABA merger with his 16th consecutive game with 30 points or more.
Harden and Bryant's marks of 16 straight stand as the longest such streaks since Wilt Chamberlain reached the 30-point mark 20 consecutive times in 1964.
Harden shot 11-for-32 from the field, 1-for-17 from downtown, and 15-for-16 from the charity stripe Sunday. His off night from long distance put a halt to his NBA record of five or more made 3-pointers at 12 straight games and set a new dubious mark.
Harden's 16 missed 3-pointers tied Damon Stoudamire for the most missed threes in a game in NBA history. He also shot 5.9 percent from downtown, the worst such shooting mark in a single game in NBA history with a minimum of 15 attempts.
The reigning NBA Most Valuable Player added 12 assists and nine boards to finish just short of his 42nd career triple-double.
Harden was averaging a career-high 34.1 points per contest on 43.8 percent shooting entering Sunday's play.