James Harden joined six more NBA players by scoring his first 50 points in a game this season. However, his 54 points against the Washington Wizards weren’t enough to secure a win as the Rockets fell 131-135 in overtime.
Eric Gordon chipped in with 36 points to make a combined 90 points with Harden but the Wizards proved too difficult to beat as they dominated in the second half. Washington’s John Wall scored 36 points and 11 assists while Bradley Beal added 32 more and four assists to spur the Wizards to a win.
The Rockets could have won had Harden converted every chance he got. He missed a free throw with 2:42 to go and had made a mistake earlier than could have ended the game in regulation.
In the Bay Area, Kevin Durant was the difference as the Golden State Warriors rallied from behind to beat the Orlando Magic 116-110. The Warriors were trailing 17 points at the end of halftime and looked wore out. In the second, Klay Thomson and Durant inspired a successful comeback that saw both players combine for 78 points. Thomson scored 29 points while Durant scored 49.
