James Harden Becomes Fifth Active Member of 20,000-Point Club

Rockets guard James Harden added another line to his Hall-of-Fame resume on Saturday, reaching 20,000 career points as Houston hosted the Timberwolves at the Toyota Center.

Harden entered the matchup with 19,990 career points, good for No. 45 on the all-time list. The Beard started contest matchup slowly, but he heated up in the second quarter. Harden scored 22 points in the first half despite a sluggish start, including a step-back three to reach 20,000 points in his career.

The two-time scoring champion is the fifth active player to have 20,000 points, joining LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony and Vince Carter. James is the current active scoring leader with 33,482 points.

Harden should be joined by Russell Westbrook in the 20,000-point club by the All-Star Break in February. Westbrook entered Saturday afternoon with 19,640 career points, trailing Bernard King for No. 47 all-time. The Rockets are the only team with two active players in the top 50 of the all-time scoring leaderboard.

"That's a blessing to do that on a very, very high level," Westbrook said postgame. "Something that you don't take for granted. Growing up in [Los Angeles] being able to see [Harden] progress over the years. To me, it's just a blessing to be able to see. As a friend, I'm truly happy for him."

The 2017-18 MVP has sprinted toward 20,000 points after averaging just 12.7 points per game with the Thunder from 2009-12. Harden has the most points in the NBA since joining the Rockets in October 2012, and he's won the scoring title in each of the last two seasons. Harden entered Saturday averaging 37.9 points per game in 2019-20, the highest single-season scoring average since Wilt Chamberlain in 1962-63.

Harden is seeking his third straight scoring title this season. Durant is the last player to win three consecutive scoring titles, achieving the feat from 2009-12.