James Harden is proud of his defensive stats
Here’s something you don’t expect to read every day: James Harden is getting some love for his defense on one of the best scorers in the NBA.
Against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday, Harden recorded his 10th triple-double of the season to the tune of 40 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds, putting him behind only Russell Westbrook (17) for the most triple-doubles in the NBA this season. However, in addition to dominating the Raptors in just about every way possible offensively, Harden also chipped in with two steals and two blocks to give himself a stat line we’ve basically only ever seen from LeBron James and Michael Jordan.
One of those blocks in particular came down the stretch on an isolation play against Harden’s good friend DeMar DeRozan. And when he was asked about it after the game by the Houston Chronicle‘s Jonathan Feigen, Harden said he enjoyed the block way more than his historic triple-double. It probably helps that DeRozan actually sought Harden out on a switch for what he thought was going to be an easy basket.
I asked Harden if he preferred the 40-10-10 or the two blocks on his buddy, DeRozan. Huge smile ensured. "Two blocks, for sure. Key plays."
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) January 9, 2017
By the way, Harden also drew a charge on Patrick Patterson in the final minutes of the fourth quarter when the Raptors were trying to make a run. We’re not kidding when we say he was a difference-maker on defense.
While we’re at it, keep in mind that the Rockets have been the fourth best team in the NBA on defense since the start of December to go along with the third best offense on the season. They also have the third best record in the Western Conference, trailing the San Antonio Spurs by only one game.
Next: The killer crossover Harden uses to break defenders
With Harden creating a whopping 82 points per game — with some genuinely good defense sprinkled in there for good measure on occasions — it’s no wonder the Rockets are setting the league on fire.