James Harden jabs back at $6M player after 50-point game

There was a time when James Harden was the most unstoppable scorer in the NBA. Some didn't like his style because of how many times he went to the line, but he kept finding ways to bend the rules in his favor.

His role has changed over time. He's no longer his team's primary scorer, and he's been more of a facilitator. However, he can still go off for a throwback performance every now and then.

That's why he saved the best for Malik Beasley and the Detroit Pistons a couple of weeks ago. Harden put up a season-best 50 points against them in a 123-115 win. Harden clearly had that game marked in his calendar, and this week, he told streamer N3on that it was because of what Beasley said of him.

"He was talking sh*t here," Harden said of Beasley on.

The Piston's shooting guard, who is on a one-year, $6 million deal, went viral during his interview with N3on for stating that Harden was an easy player to defend.

"Your favorite player of all time is James Harden? He's easy to guard," Beasley said.

He immediately tried to explain what he meant by that. He even hilariously urged them not to clip his words, knowing that Harden was going to get back at him when they met again:

"Don't make this viral, he's gonna cook my a*s," Beasley added. "What I meant to say was, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson; they run nonstop off screens; they just don't stop, right? James Harden, he does this. If you reach, he's good, but if you know the game, it's harder to guard someone who's running around the whole game."

Harden had the ultimate throwback performance with 50 points on 14 of 24 shooting, including six three-pointers and 16 made free throws. That's why you don't poke the bear.

James Harden and the Clippers are peaking at the right time

James Harden has scored at least 22 points in every game since that 50-point outing. He's averaging 22.5 points and 8.7 assists per game this season, and while he hasn't shot the ball particularly well, he's proving that he still has plenty left in the tank.

The Clippers are 39-30 and have won four games in a row. They're still in the mix to avoid the Play-In Tournament, and with Kawhi Leonard getting to full strength and Norman Powell also having a career year, they will be a very dangerous foe going forward.

This team is no longer at the top of the West, but with all the firepower they have, other teams will be wise not to count them out just yet.