Published 10:25 IST, December 4th 2019
James Harden will score 100 points soon, says Spurs star DeMar DeRozan
James Harden has been backed by Spurs' DeMar DeRozan to surpass Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point record in the NBA. Harden currently leads the NBA in scoring
San Antonio Spurs' small forward DeMar DeRozan believes that Wilt Chamberlain'ss 100-point game is a feat that can be repeated by none other than Houston Rockets' bearded superstar, James Harden. Speaking ahead of the Houston Rockets' visit to the AT&T Center, DeMar DeRozan said that James Harden could register 100 points in a single game if he were to put his mind to it. DeMar DeRozan will heave a sigh of relief that that wasn't the case on Tuesday night (Wednesday morning IST) as James Harden registered 50 points in a losing cause as the Spurs emerged 135-133 winners against the Houston Rockets.
Few have been more prolific in the NBA than James Harden this season. It is no surprise, therefore, that DeMar DeRozan has backed Harden to equal Wilt Chamberlain's legendary 100-point record in the NBA. The last player to come close to equalling the 100-point record was Lakers legend Kobe Bryant’s 81-point outburst against the Toronto Raptors in January 2006. His 81-point display against the Raptors is the second-highest total in the history of the NBA.
James Harden's stats better Kobe Bryant's best season
James Harden registered 50 points against the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night. The Rockets' bearded superstar is now averaging a staggering 38.9 points per game. To provide some context, during Kobe Bryant's best season which saw him score the aforementioned 81 points against the Raptors, the Lakers legend averaged 35.4 points per game. Rockets fans have even argued that if James Harden had played the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Hawks last weekend, he could very well have surpassed Kobe Bryant's 81-point record. In the game against the Hawks, James Harden finished with figures of 60 points from 31 minutes of action. In the third quarter alone, Harden scored a massive 29 points.
The loss against DeMar DeRozan's San Antonio Spurs leaves the Houston Rockets with a 13-7 record in the Western Conference. With Russell Westbrook flattering to deceive, the scoring burden has fallen majorly on the shoulders of James Harden. Opposition teams have taken to aggressively double team James Harden, sometimes from the moment he crosses the half-court. However, with an average of 38.9 points per game, that tactic clearly does not seem to be working out.
Updated 13:38 IST, December 4th 2019