On a night where the NBA’s leader in assist Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns needed to get a big home win against the OKC Thunder to stay in the Western conference playoff race, the 3rd overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft and former Arizona State Sun Devil James Harden decided to have a career night in what was sort of a homecoming for him.
With many former coaches, teammates and family members in the stands, Harden, who is sometimes called by many other NBA analyst the best point guard on the Thunder is averaging 16.4 points this season but tonight Harden put up a career high 40 points. Yes the NBA’s bearded superhero was on a mission. Harden shot 12-17 from the field and was a perfect 11-11 from the free throw line in just 33 minutes of play. Kevin Durant added 29 points and Russell Westbrook 15 for the Thunder, who stayed a half-game behind the San Antonio Spurs for the top playoff seed in the Western Conference.
This was a bad lose for the Suns who are trying to back in to the playoffs with under a week remaining in the regular season. The Thunder play at Sacramento on Friday, then meet the Lakers in Los Angeles on Sunday before closing the regular season with home games against Sacramento and Denver. Three of Phoenix’s final four games are at home, beginning Thursday night against the Los Angeles Clippers who headed the thunder a double digit lose earlier this week and are chasing the Lakers for the third seed in the West.
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