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This happened earlier than usual on Friday night. Text messages and social media posts started flying from fan to fan around 20:30. AND.
"Harden is hot, he is 27 years old."
At this point, it was already the middle of the NBA night. Many have badumed that it was news in the first half, to which the answer could not get hit fast enough.
"No, no … in the first quarter."
It was true. James Harden had already scored 27 points in the first 12 minutes of the match. Yet even as he scored "only" 10 and 9 points in the second and third quarters, the Spurs collective seemed poised to defeat MVP candidate Kia in Houston.
Then Harden gave in for another hike, a fourth-quarter surge that included the grueling banker putting Houston in third place after being led 19 times in the second half.
Behind the 61 points of Harden, Houston has spread to win the 111-105 victory.
Like his three pointer signature, this banker is a terrible blow to anyone except Harden, just as his load distribution would seem terrible for a team other than Houston. Its rate of use against the Spurs was 53.7% – the fourth time it exceeded 50% in 2018-19. Klay Thompson is the only other player to have used more than 50% of players in a game this season.
In a nutshell, this will be the case of Harden's MVP to voters in just three weeks. He is the Atlas of Rockets, only he scores 60 goals and more with the big ball instead of just wearing it. Friday's 61-point performance (combined with a 57-point special on Wednesday) punctuated the picture, an image supported by a flood of impressive statistics, facts and short lists. Among them:
- Harden is now the first player to score more than 50% in consecutive games. two times in the same season since Wilt Chamberlain
- Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Chamberlain or the only players in the history of the NBA to match or exceed the total 118 points of Harden in two parts
- Harden also joins Jordan, Bryant and Chamberlain as the only players with several 60-point games in a season.
- Harden beat Joe Johnson for 10th overall in 3 sec
- His 61 points are equal 1) his career record and 2) the Houston franchise record for points of a match
- The 61 Harden points were the most against Spurs
Everyone will take note, if for different reasons. Harden's supporters and detractors will scream against each other as voters struggle to find the truth under the noise. The Bucks felt compelled to remind the NBA world of their own MVP candidate a few minutes after Houston's win:
MVP. pic.twitter.com/HyWFP0GXQY
– Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) March 23, 2019
As long as the votes are not cast and their results are not achieved, marveling at Harden's historic past will have to be sufficient.
Cause and effect
By entering Friday's action, four teams were tied in the Western Conference image of the playoffs, while the bottom of the East was still up for grabs. Here is a brief overview of what has happened and the effect of ranking training:
Magic 123, Grizzlies 119
Orlando avoided the disaster with a late return before winning the overtime victory. In a four-game winning streak, the Magic is just half a game over the eighth and final playoff spot to the East.
110 lawn mowers, 108 riders
L.A.'s playoff team also avoided embarrbadment, overcoming a slow first half to finally defeat the league's third team. Combined with the Houston defeat against the Spurs, this victory was enough to push the Clippers to tie for fifth place with Oklahoma City.
Nuggets 111, Knicks 93
By quickly sending the Knicks tied to the lottery, Denver restored a link for the first time with Golden State. The Nuggets have lost two of the three defeats to the Warriors this season, making their April 2 game a must-see for the purposes of equality.
Thunder 116, Raptors 109
Oklahoma City ended all four games by eliminating a 13-point deficit in the third quarter and defeating the Raptors in Toronto. The incredible effort allowed OKC to remain tied for fifth place, with the difference that now they share the same record (43-30) with one team (the Clippers) instead of three.
The Raptors, meanwhile, saw their chances of overtaking the lead, Milwaukee, significantly. Toronto is trailing the Bucks by three full games with only nine to play.
Rockets 111, Spurs 105
The Harden eruption gave Houston a valuable respite in third place, just ahead of Portland. The result was felt further down in the same West standings, where San Antonio fell to eighth place now that he suffered one more defeat than seventh place Jazz.
Dollars 116, Heat 87
Milwaukee takes the driver's seat for first place in the East, while Heat's cushion for eighth place is now an ultra-thin half-match against Orlando.
Threads 111, Lakers 106
Brooklyn now holds a solid two-game lead over Miami for seventh place and is more than a half-game from Detroit, a sixth place spot. As for the Lakers …
Russell's revenge
The NBA turnaround of D & # 39; Angelo Russell was wrapped up Friday when Brooklyn visited the franchise which earned him to be one of their three consecutive picks in second place – and the only one that the Lakers have decided do not keep.
Now completely transformed from Laker to the All-Star Nets, Russell took the opportunity to officially eliminate his former team from the playoff race. The 6-foot-3 guard did not let pbad the opportunity, he racked up 21 points and 13 badists as Brooklyn sank the last nail in L.A's lottery casket.
JaVale McShaq
Speaking of career arcs, none could be more alien than that of JaVale McGee. The big 7-foot-1 man went from an absurd choice in the first round to a well-paid beginner, to an unparalleled NBA player, before returning to an important role in the past three seasons.
Now, with the Lakers, Shaqtin's most valuable former player 'A Fool has compared his statistics to those of Shaq: 33 points, 20 rebounds and six blocks. We could include any number of his 15 goals to illustrate how he dominated on the inside, but maybe his shots chart will give you a better idea.
By the end of the evening, McGee had become the first Laker to hold a game of 30 points, 20 rebounds and five blocks since … you guessed it, Shaquille O 'Neal. The duo joins Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only Lakers already record a 30-20-5.
This is not it
If you try not to accuse Giannis Antetokounmpo, he will let you know.
Remember your roots
The month of March is a defining month for college basketball and the moments that prevail there long after the stars have followed one another. Dwyane Wade is no exception to the rule and the Heat's visit to Milwaukee provided the perfect time and location to remember his move to Marquette.
Marquette's own D-Wade received a special tribute video and a standing ovation from the Milwaukee crowd. ⚡️?# A last dancepic.twitter.com/gX0uVYkDKF
– NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) March 23, 2019
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