6 NBA games where James Harden scored 50 points and his team still lost

James Harden is a brilliant scorer who has put up more than 50 points on multiple occasions in the NBA
James Harden is a brilliant scorer who has put up more than 50 points on multiple occasions in the NBA

#3 - Houston Rockets vs Washington Wizards, 2018

James Harden with the Houston Rockets
James Harden with the Houston Rockets

Playing the Washington Wizards away from home, James Harden almost led the Houston Rockets to a win as he scored 54 points and assisted his teammates 13 times.

Harden was efficient from the field, making 53% of his field goals. However, he turned the ball over 11 times, which helped the Wizards stay in the game.

Explore the NBA Draft 2024 with our free NBA Mock Draft Simulator & be the GM of your favorite NBA team.

Eric Gordon played the role of the second scorer to perfection that day, chipping in with 36 points. However, the dynamic backcourt duo of John Wall and Bradley Beal proved to be too much for the Houston Rockets defense, as they ended up scoring 36 and 32 points, respectively.


#2 - Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies, 2019

James Harden with the Houston Rockets
James Harden with the Houston Rockets

A gritty Memphis Grizzlies team took care of their business against a strong Houston Rockets side in 2019, beating them by a narrow margin of 125-126.

Mike Conley ran the show for the Grizzlies, scoring 35 points and providing 8 assists. Conley was ably assisted by Jonas Valanciunas, who finished the game with 33 points, shooting 10-19 from the field.

James Harden was excellent in that game, putting up 57 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists. His three-point shooting was immaculate as he made 9 of his 17 attempts from the deep, but it was not enough to get past the Grizzlies.


#1 - Brooklyn Nets vs Houston Rockets, 2019

James Harden with the Houston Rockets
James Harden with the Houston Rockets

In what was one of the best performances of his career, James Harden toyed with a strong Brooklyn Nets defense single-handedly, scoring 58 points, albeit in a losing effort. The Nets won the game 145-142, and that is how excruciatingly close Harden came to helping his side win.

James Harden played 45 minutes in that game, shooting 16-34 from the field. He was aggressive from the tip-off and went to the charity stripe 23 times, converting 21 of those free throws.

For the Brooklyn Nets, the scoring was well distributed, and Spencer Dinwiddie's 33-point performance helped them secure a win against James Harden and co.

Rockets Fan? Check out the latest Houston Rockets depth chart, schedule, and roster updates all in one place.

Quick Links

Edited by Rachel Syiemlieh
Sportskeeda logo
Close menu
WWE
WWE
NBA
NBA
NFL
NFL
MMA
MMA
Tennis
Tennis
NHL
NHL
Golf
Golf
MLB
MLB
Soccer
Soccer
F1
F1
WNBA
WNBA
More
More
bell-icon Manage notifications