When James Harden spent New Year’s Eve beating the Knicks

When we look today at the career best performances of James Hardenit is obviously impossible not to mention his match of December 31, 2016, against the Knicks.

Six years ago to the day, the 2018 MVP actually managed a daunting performance against the New York franchise. Displaying, that evening, a unique line of statistics in NBA history: 53 points, 16 rebounds and 17 assists (but with 8 ball losses). All at 14/26 on shots, 9/16 on 3-points and 16/18 on throws!!!

“Unique” because no other player had (and still has) compiled at least 45 points, 15 rebounds and 15 assists in a game. Not even Russell Westbrook, Oscar Robertson, Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson and other Luka Doncic because, beyond being omnipresent in the rebound and the pass, you have to be a bonus in scoring.

But James Harden has succeeded.

At the heart of his first season under the orders of Mike D’Antoni, the leader of the Rockets had thus made the song for the Knicks of Carmelo Anthony, Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and… Brandon Jennings. Ballooning Ryan Anderson, Eric Gordon, Trevor Ariza or even Montrezl Harrell, whether behind the 3-point line or in the paint, with caviars delivered each time in excellent timing, on “pick-and-roll or in transition.

The total !

More responsible for the rebound in the absence of Clint Capela, in order to launch the counter-attacks and develop this fast style of play so dear to “MDA”, James Harden was therefore more than ever Houston’s handyman. And, in this match which gave pride of place to attacks, the now Sixers player was also responsible for feeding his team’s scoring (and not just a little).

The entire offensive arsenal of the three-time leading scorer in the league has also been spent there, at the Toyota Center: 3-points in “catch-and-shoot”, 3-points on the dribble, 3-points in isolation, 3 -points in “stepback”, “floaters”, “stepbacks” at mid-distance, penetrations, free throws. He was an attacker at the top of his game that the defenders of New York had to stuff themselves with, unable to slow him down all evening and logically defeated on arrival. By chasing after the score almost all the time.

Finally, note that at that time, it was “only” James Harden’s fourth 50-point game (he has managed 19 others since). Crucially, it was his very first career 50/10/10 game (he’s managed 4 more since). And “The Beard” could not imagine a better performance to conclude his year 2016 in style, not really successful collectively (elimination in the first round of the playoffs, against the Warriors).