A double-double double at the heart of a… triple-double. That is to say the complexity and the level of statistical performance displayed by James Harden tonight against the Clippers. Not particularly skilful (6/17 in shots including 3/6 from afar), the bearded man finished with 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.
But the most impressive statistic across the board is in assists: 21! That impressive total sees him tie Wilt Chamberlain and Maurice Cheeks for the Sixers franchise record for single-game caviars. The giant had established this record in 1968 (during this famous season when he finished the league’s best passer by volume), equaled in 1982 by the former playmaker, also Hall of Famer.
James Harden also became the second 76ers player to finish with 20 points and 20 assists in the same game, the first this season to achieve this feat, and the second, still with Wilt Chamberlain, to sign a triple-double at 20. points, 10 rebounds and 20 assists.
“ I am in very good company. Mo Cheeks was one of my coaches (in Oklahoma City), and then Wilt, I feel like all the records belong to him. So being in the middle of a discussion with some of the best basketball players to ever touch a ball is always a privilege. », appreciate the former MVP, whose previous career passing high stood at 17. A total reached… ten times.
James Harden can thank, and vice versa, a teammate more than the others: Joel Embiid. He indeed distributed 11 of his 21 balls in the direction of the pivot, mainly on the “pick-and-roll” opening good shots around the line of free throws. The pivot thus scored a total of 44 points.
In 25 years, only three times had a player finished with at least 40 points and one of his teammates at least 20 assists. The James Harden – Joel Embiid tandem thus joins Paul George and Russell Westbrook (2018), as well as DeMarcus Cousins and Rajon Rondo (2016).
” He’s a generational scorer who still scores but decided to be a playmaker for this team. It’s hard to do. Many people, most people, can’t do it, or won’t do it, which is a better way to put it. The fact that he does it voluntarily, that he leads the team, that he organizes us, is huge for us. », Greets Doc Rivers, whose team is surfing on a series of seven straight victories.
| James Harden | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2009-10 | OKAY | 76 | 23 | 40.3 | 37.5 | 80.8 | 0.6 | 2.6 | 3.2 | 1.8 | 2.6 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 9.9 |
| 2010-11 | OKAY | 82 | 27 | 43.6 | 34.9 | 84.3 | 0.5 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 2.2 | 2.5 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 12.2 |
| 2011-12 | OKAY | 62 | 31 | 49.1 | 39.0 | 84.6 | 0.5 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 2.4 | 1.0 | 2.2 | 0.2 | 16.8 |
| 2012-13 | HOO | 78 | 38 | 43.8 | 36.8 | 85.1 | 0.8 | 4.1 | 4.9 | 5.8 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 3.8 | 0.5 | 25.9 |
| 2013-14 | HOO | 73 | 38 | 45.6 | 36.6 | 86.6 | 0.8 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 6.1 | 2.4 | 1.6 | 3.6 | 0.4 | 25.4 |
| 2014-15 | HOO | 81 | 37 | 44.0 | 37.5 | 86.8 | 0.9 | 4.7 | 5.7 | 7.0 | 2.6 | 1.9 | 4.0 | 0.7 | 27.4 |
| 2015-16 | HOO | 82 | 38 | 43.9 | 35.9 | 86.0 | 0.8 | 5.3 | 6.1 | 7.5 | 2.8 | 1.7 | 4.6 | 0.6 | 29.0 |
| 2016-17 | HOO | 81 | 36 | 44.0 | 34.7 | 84.7 | 1.2 | 7.0 | 8.1 | 11.2 | 2.7 | 1.5 | 5.7 | 0.5 | 29.1 |
| 2017-18 ★ | HOO | 72 | 35 | 44.9 | 36.7 | 85.8 | 0.6 | 4.8 | 5.4 | 8.8 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 4.4 | 0.7 | 30.4 |
| 2018-19 | HOO | 78 | 37 | 44.2 | 36.8 | 87.9 | 0.9 | 5.8 | 6.6 | 7.5 | 3.1 | 2.0 | 5.0 | 0.7 | 36.1 |
| 2019-20 | HOO | 68 | 37 | 44.4 | 35.5 | 86.5 | 1.0 | 5.5 | 6.6 | 7.5 | 3.3 | 1.8 | 4.5 | 0.9 | 34.3 |
| 2020-21 * | All Teams | 44 | 37 | 46.6 | 36.2 | 86.1 | 0.8 | 7.1 | 7.9 | 10.8 | 2.3 | 1.2 | 4.0 | 0.8 | 24.6 |
| 2020-21 * | BRK | 36 | 37 | 47.1 | 36.6 | 85.6 | 0.8 | 7.7 | 8.5 | 10.9 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 4.0 | 0.8 | 24.6 |
| 2020-21 * | HOO | 8 | 36 | 44.4 | 34.7 | 88.3 | 0.6 | 4.5 | 5.1 | 10.4 | 1.8 | 0.9 | 4.3 | 0.8 | 24.8 |
| 2021-22 * | All Teams | 65 | 37 | 41.0 | 33.0 | 87.7 | 0.9 | 6.9 | 7.7 | 10.3 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 4.4 | 0.6 | 22.0 |
| 2021-22 * | BRK | 44 | 37 | 41.4 | 33.2 | 86.9 | 1.0 | 7.0 | 8.0 | 10.2 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 4.8 | 0.7 | 22.5 |
| 2021-22 * | PHL | 21 | 38 | 40.2 | 32.6 | 89.2 | 0.6 | 6.5 | 7.1 | 10.5 | 2.3 | 1.2 | 3.4 | 0.2 | 21.1 |
| 2022-23 | PHL | 16 | 38 | 43.4 | 35.7 | 86.9 | 0.6 | 5.8 | 6.3 | 10.3 | 2.2 | 1.3 | 3.8 | 0.6 | 21.4 |
| Total | 958 | 35 | 44.2 | 36.1 | 86.0 | 0.8 | 4.9 | 5.6 | 6.9 | 2.6 | 1.5 | 3.8 | 0.5 | 24.9 | |
