James Harden, one of the most outstanding NBA players in recent memory, was benched for the entire fourth quarter against the Atlanta Hawks in Houston on Sunday.
To be fair to Houston Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni, the home team would go on to beat Atlanta 158-111 in one of the most dominant performances of the season. It was hardly like Harden was needed.
The wrinkle? Harden had scored 60 points in three quarters, just one point behind his career high of 61.
Harden was also on track to beat Kobe Bryant’s 81 points in a single game (the all-time record is held by Wilt Chamberlain at 100 points; Bryant is second), and was shooting at 66.7% from the field. He also knocked down eight three-pointers from 14 attempts, 20 from 23 free throws, and had eight assists.
Harden’s reaction when he realised he’s been benched was understandable:
When you find out you’re 2pts away from your career high...😂 pic.twitter.com/Ooq3FxHlEf
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) December 1, 2019
The win takes the Rockets to a 13-6 record, sitting fourth in the Western conference.
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