Looking Back at James Harden's 61-Point Explosion Against the Spurs

Happy anniversary, James Harden. Sunday marks one year since the NBA's scoring leader dropped 61 points against San Antonio, tying his career-high in a 111-105 win over the Spurs. 

Harden banged home nine threes in the victory, going 19-34 from the field and 14-17 from the line. In a year in which Harden posted the highest single-season scoring average since 1986-87, the 61-point explosion marked his season's masterpiece. 

Let's take a look back at Harden's dominant night. 

Hot Start Early

The Beard got off to a hot start against San Antonio, tallying 27 points on a slate of drives to the tin. The Spurs attempted to shade Harden right throughout the opening 12 minutes, staying on his left hip in an attempt to eliminate his patented step-back. The strategy didn't exactly pay off. Harden scored eight points at the rim in the first quarter, and he added 10 points via free throws as Houston took at 36-24 lead.

San Antonio Climbs Back

The Spurs held Harden in check to a degree in the middle two quarters. The 2017-18 MVP went 3–8 in the second quarter, then made just one triple in the third. After falling in a double-digit hole, San Antonio clawed its way to an 81-81 tie after three quarters. But when crunch time arrived, Harden took over.

Dominant Fourth Quarter

Harden didn't score in the first five minutes of the fourth, but a pair of free throws with 6:15 to play kick-started a thrilling scoring tear. Harden erased a 100-97 San Antonio lead with three triples in 68 seconds, including a pair of 30-footers. The deep threes marked Harden at his best, and he followed the rainbow threes with a pair of layups to ice the contest.  

Harden may not have won MVP last season, but his historic scoring season will live on in NBA lore. No player this century has scored at such a high clip, and it appears as though Harden has the best chance of any active player to beat his 36.1 PPG mark last season. As we approach our third week without live games, it's nice to look back and appreciate the greatest scorer in Rockets' history.