James Harden continues to make history.
In Houston's win over Phoenix on Sunday, Harden led the Rockets to victory with a game-high 47 points in only 34 minutes of action. He did so efficiently, going 15-for-27 from the field, 9-for-19 from the 3-point line and 8-for-9 from the free throw line.
47 points in 34 minutes. pic.twitter.com/kGWVLfZVbA
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) December 22, 2019
Harden has now scored 40 or more points 89 times in his NBA career, moving him into fourth place all-time for the most 40-point games. The only players ahead of him are Kobe Bryant (122), Michael Jordan (173) and Wilt Chamberlain (271).
With his performance against the Suns, Harden moved past Elgin Baylor (88) in the standings. Allen Iverson (79), Oscar Robertson (77), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (70), Rick Barry (70) and George Gervin (68) round out the top-10.
| Rank | Player | From | To | Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wilt Chamberlain | 1960 | 1971 | 271 |
| 2 | Michael Jordan | 1985 | 2003 | 173 |
| 3 | Kobe Bryant | 2000 | 2016 | 122 |
| 4 | James Harden | 2012 | 2020 | 89 |
| 5 | Elgin Baylor | 1959 | 1970 | 88 |
| 6 | Allen Iverson | 1997 | 2008 | 79 |
| 7 | Oscar Robertson | 1961 | 1970 | 77 |
| 8 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 1970 | 1986 | 70 |
| 9 | Rick Barry | 1966 | 1978 | 70 |
| 10 | George Gervin | 1977 | 1986 | 68 |
Harden is now averaging 38.8 points per game on the season.
With the win, the Rockets improve to 20-9, moving them ahead of the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference standings.