As the Clippers defeated the Pistons, Harden scored 50 points for the 24th time in his career.
It makes perfect sense that James Harden is ranked fourth on the all-time list of players with the most 50-point games. For almost ten years, he has been arguably the most dangerous one-on-one scorer in the NBA. He has won three scoring championships. These are the qualities that one would anticipate from a player who scores 50 points.
Even more unexpected, though, is that up until Wednesday night, he had scored 50 points in each of his 23 games with the Houston Rockets.
Despite never scoring 50 points in a game for the Oklahoma City Thunder, he was named Sixth Man of the Year. The Brooklyn Nets didn’t receive a 50-point game from him, but they did give up seven years’ worth of first-round choices for him. Even Harden’s Houston general manager, Daryl Morey’s Philadelphia 76ers, was unable to get him to put up 50 points.
The Los Angeles Clippers, however, may now claim to have done so. With Kawhi Leonard out, the Clippers, who had lost six of their previous seven games going into the game, needed a huge offensive outburst to defeat the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday. In the Clippers’ 123-115 victory, Harden provided them one, hitting 50 points on the spot to hit the milestone for the first time since December 2019 and for the 24th time overall.
All of Harden’s points came from behind the arc (18), in the paint (16), or at the free-throw line (16), as is customary. The Clippers needed the effort as they try to reclaim their place among the Western Conference’s top six.
Harden is just 50 points away from tying Kobe in a game.
The likelihood of Harden hitting 50 again is uncertain because it has been over five years since his previous 50-piece.
However, he would tie Kobe Bryant for third place on the all-time NBA leaderboard with 25 if he were to accomplish it once more. Given that No. 2 Michael Jordan has 31 games with 50 points or more, it’s probably as high as he could realistically go.
He would undoubtedly be capped at No. 2 if he managed to make it to Jordan. Why? Due to the fact that Wilt Chamberlain scored 50 points in a game an incredible 118 times, which is almost four times as much as anyone else. That is the result of a season in which you average 50 points per game.
Harden’s status as the greatest scorer of all time has long been established, regardless of where he ranks on the list—fourth, third, or second. The cherry on top was Wednesday, which gave him the opportunity to prove to the basketball community that, despite his advanced age of 35, he still had what it takes.
For all the latest news from Oman and GCC, follow us on Instagram, like us on Facebook & subscribe to our YouTube Channel, which is updated daily.
