HOUSTON – Today, the NBA announced that James Harden has been named Western Conference Player of the Week for games played from Monday, Feb. 5 through Sunday, Feb. 11 (Week 17). It is the second straight week Harden has won the award, the fifth time this season, and the 18th time in his career.
The Rockets have won eight in a row, including 4-0 for the week. In those four games, Harden averaged 33.0 points, 6.8 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 1.25 steals while also hitting 18 3-pointers on 39.1% shooting.
Harden scored at least 27 points in all four games for the week, including 41 on the second night of a back-to-back at Miami on Feb. 7. He has scored 40-plus points twice as many times (8) as any other player in the league this season.
For the season, Harden leads the NBA in scoring with 31.3 ppg while ranking tied for second in assists with 8.9 apg. He finished second in the league in scoring and first in assists last season. Harden is on pace to join Michael Jordan (1988-89) as the only players to have averaged at least 30.0 ppg, 8.0 apg, 5.0 rpg, and 1.70 spg in a single season since steals became an official statistic in 1973-74.
Harden is also averaging a career-high 4.1 3-pointers made on 38.1% shooting this season. His 195 3FGM are the third-most by a player through the first 55 games of a season in NBA history.
Since the start of January, Harden is averaging 1.77 steals and 1.15 blocks. He ranks ninth in the NBA in steals overall this season (1.79 spg).
The Rockets have won 15 of their past 17 games and have the most wins (42) through the first 55 games of a season in franchise history. Houston is 26-1 when Harden, Clint Capela, and Chris Paul play together, with the Rockets outscoring opponent by an average of 13.9 points in those games.
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