James Harden dropped Jamal Murray with a filthy behind-the-back crossover and step-back three reminiscent of his 2018 Wesley Johnson ankle breaker
- James Harden made headlines again by breaking point guard Jamal Murray's ankles with a vicious behind-the-back crossover before draining his signature step-back three.
- To add insult to injury, Murray managed to recover just in time to pick up a shooting foul on the Beard's three-pointer.
- Harden recorded 32 points, 14 assists, and 5 rebounds in the Rockets' 125-113 win, adding to an already compelling case he's made over the last few weeks to repeat as NBA MVP.
James Harden has been on an absolute tear, scoring 30 or more points in all 13 games he's played since December 13, elevating his Houston Rockets in the Western Conference standings, and making a compelling case to repeat as MVP.
But last night, the Beard did something he hasn't done in such spectacular fashion since last March: completely disrespecting a defender and sending him to the ground before draining his signature step-back three.
This time, the Denver Nuggets' Jamal Murray was the target of Harden's antics. Late in the second quarter of their Monday-night matchup, Harden sent the second-year point guard to the floor with a vicious behind-the-back crossover and stepped back behind the line for a three. As if to double the disrespect, Murray recovered in time to get a hand in front of Harden and was whistled for a foul, allowing the Beard to convert on a four-point play.
Check out the full video below:
Last time around, former Los Angeles Clippers shooting guard Wesley Johnson infamously became the victim of one of Harden's devastating crossovers, falling to the ground and looking on helplessly as the NBA's leading scorer stared him down and sank a three.
And here is the latest one side-by-side with the Johnson annihilation:
The highlight-reel play wasn't Harden's only accomplishment of the night. He finished with 32 points, 14 assists, and five rebounds in Houston's 125-113 win, becoming the ninth-youngest player in NBA history to reach 17,000 career points, per StatMuse's Justin Kubatko. His six threes also made him the first player in league history to hit five or more 3-pointers in 10 consecutive games.
But apparently, none of that matters very much to Harden."I'm just trying to win games," Harden told the Houston Chronicle's Jenny Dial Creech Monday. "Stats is cool and whatnot, but winning is most important."And as of late, he and the Rockets have been doing a fine job of that. They've won seven of their last eight contests and risen up to fifth in the Western Conference standings. They'll look to notch two more wins as they host the Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers to round out the week.