HOUSTON: James Harden knew he’d have to do a little more on Tuesday night with the Houston Rockets missing key players.
Even he couldn’t have imagined he’d do this much.
Harden became the first player in NBA history to score 60 points as part of a triple-double and the short-handed Rockets beat the Orlando Magic 114-107.
“I just gave it all I had tonight,” Harden said. “We all did. We all fought for 48 minutes, we got key stops when we needed to and we made big shots.”
Harden scored 18 points in the fourth quarter to eclipse the 57 points Calvin Murphy scored in 1978 to break Houston’s single-game scoring record. After Harden broke the record, cameras in the arena showed a shot of Murphy, who works on the television broadcast team, smiling and clapping for the Beard, who also had 10 rebounds and 11 assists.
The game was tied at 107 after a basket by Marreese Speights with just under four minutes to play. Neither team scored for more than two minutes after that before Harden took over, scoring the next six points to make it 113-107 with 45 seconds left.
He set the scoring mark when he stepped back and made a 3-pointer before crashing to the court after being fouled by Mario Hezonja. He then made the free throw to give him 60 points and bringing the crowd to its feet.
“Amazing (and) topped it off with a four-point play at the end,” coach Mike D’Antoni said. “But we had to have every minute from him.”
Harden, who also had four steals and a block, grabbed his 10th rebound a few seconds later to give him his third triple double this season. He made 17 of 18 free throws and was 19 of 30 from the floor with five 3 pointers.
He said he didn’t realize he was the first player with 60 points in a triple-double.
“It’s a good feeling, I guess,” he said. “Just try to go out there and make an impact every single night on the game, however I can. Whether it’s scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, whatever it is. And tonight I guess I was doing everything.”
Hezonja and Speights scored 17 points each for the Magic, who dropped their third straight.
The Rockets started the game without Chris Paul, who has a sore groin, and Trevor Ariza, who is dealing with a strained hamstring. They lost another player when Eric Gordon, who is second on the team in scoring with 19.5 points a game, left early in the second quarter with lower back stiffness.
“I looked at coach and said: ‘Eric can’t go,’” Harden said “He said go get ‘em and after that I didn’t come out of the game.”
Harden’s big night came as he played 46 minutes and 26 seconds, which was a career-high for a regulation game, with Houston missing so many players.
“I was shocked to see that,” Speights said of Harden not getting worn out by playing so many minutes. “He didn’t really get subbed out and that shows the growth in his game and the maturity in his game.”
It was his fourth 50-point game this season and Tuesday’s performance bested his previous career-high of 56 points set in November against Utah.
“I have never seen a performance like that,” teammate Gerald Green said. “I caught myself just being a true fan throughout the whole game ... what he did today was remarkable.”
Orlando led by two points with about 9 1/2 minutes left before the Rockets used a 10-4 run to make it 101-97 with about seven minutes to go. Harden made two 3-pointers in that stretch, and wowed the crowd on the second one that he came as the shot clock was about to expire and with Shelvin Mack right in his face.
Houston didn’t lead for long though, as Speights was fouled while making a 3-pointer and added the free throw to tie it seconds later.
The Magic had a 2-point lead with about 5 1/2 minutes left before Houston used a 6-2 run, with all its points from Harden, to take a 107-105 lead with about four minutes left.
Harden piled up 16 points in the first quarter and had 24 by halftime despite his early 3-point shooting woes. Orlando led 55-54 at halftime.
Rockets’ James Harden has first 60-point triple-double in NBA history
Rockets’ James Harden has first 60-point triple-double in NBA history
Barcelona blitz Athletic Bilbao 5-0 to book place in Super Cup final
- Catalans turn uncertainty into complete control with breathtaking 16-minute spell that saw them race into a four-goal lead before the interval
- Raphinha struck again early in the second half, once more exploiting space down the flanks to extend the lead to 5-0
JEDDAH: It did not look like the easiest opening 20 minutes for Barcelona in Jeddah during their encounter with Athletic Bilbao. Yet in a breathtaking 16-minute spell, the Catalans turned uncertainty into complete control, racing into a four-goal lead before the interval.
More than 50,000 fans packed the Al-Inma Stadium in Jeddah to witness the spectacle, although the likes of Marcus Rashford and Lamine Yamal were rested, allowing opportunities for youngsters like Roony Bardghji and Fermin Lopez.
Lopez would emerge as one of the standout performers of the night. While his threat inside the box was evident, it was his creativity that truly shone in front of the Jeddawi crowd.
Barcelona broke the deadlock in the 22nd minute. A sweeping move from side to side ended with Raphinha finding Bardghji on the right, whose cutback was met by Lopez before being laid off for Ferran Torres to finish calmly for 1-0.
Just eight minutes later, an exquisite backheel from Pedri released Raphinha down the left flank once again, with his low cross this time finding Lopez to double Barcelona’s advantage.
Lopez contributed to his third goal of the night minutes later, this time slipping Bardghji down the right. The Kuwaiti-born winger skipped past Adama Boiro before striking at goal, with Unai Simon mishandling the ball as it trickled over the line.
The Blaugrana showed no signs of slowing down. Raphina finally got on the scoresheet in emphatic fashion with a belter into the top corner in the 38th minute.
To the surprise of many, neither side made any changes at the break. That decision quickly proved costly for Bilbao, as Raphinha struck again early in the second half, once more exploiting space down the flanks to extend the lead to 5-0.
With the contest beyond reach, Athletic head coach Ernesto Valverde rang the changes, making five substitutions to give minutes to his squad.
Barcelona, meanwhile, eased off to conserve energy ahead of Sunday’s final. To the delight of the crowd, both Rashford and Yamal were introduced, with Yamal receiving a warm standing ovation upon his entrance in the 72nd minute.
The emphatic victory marks Barcelona’s second consecutive five-goal display in the Spanish Super Cup, following last year’s 5-2 triumph over Real Madrid in the final.
The second semi-final takes place on Thursday, as Real Madrid face Atlético Madrid, with the winner set to meet Barcelona in Sunday’s final.
