MORE TO WATCH
James Harden scores 23 of his 50 points in the 1st quarter — his 24th career 50-point game — in a 123-115 victory over the Pistons.
Now Playing
If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page.
NBA.com is part of Warner Media, LLC’s Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network
Use precise geolocation data. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Store and/or access information on a device. Use limited data to select advertising. Measure content performance. Use profiles to select personalised advertising. Create profiles for personalised advertising. Use profiles to select personalised content. Create profiles to personalise content. Measure advertising performance. Understand audiences through statistics or combinations of data from different sources. Develop and improve services. Use limited data to select content.
List of Partners (vendors)
James Harden posts 1st 50-point game with Clippers
Additional Tracking Preferences
We and our partners process data to provide:
THE FAST BREAK: BEST OF MARCH 5
WEDNESDAY’S TOP PLAYS
GIANNIS BECOMES 6TH FASTEST TO 20,000 POINTS
GAME RECAP: CLIPPERS 123, PISTONS 115
HARDEN POSTS 1ST 50-PT GAME WITH CLIPS
PRITCHARD, WHITE MAKE NBA HISTORY IN WIN OVER BLAZERS
GAME RECAP: THUNDER 120, GRIZZLIES 103
GAME RECAP: NUGGETS 116, KINGS 110
CAN GRIZZLIES RECOVER FROM 4-GAME SLIDE?
RUTHLESSLY EFFICIENT, SGA LEADS OKC PAST GRIZZLIES
James Harden posts first 50-point game since leaving Rockets, sits one behind Kobe Bryant on all-time NBA list
James Harden sitting at fourth place on the all-time leaderboard for most 50-point games makes plenty of sense. He’s been perhaps the NBA’s most dangerous one-on-one scorer for more than a decade now. He has three scoring titles. These are the traits one would expect out of a 50-point scorer.
What’s a bit more surprising, though, is that all 23 of his 50-point games came with the Houston Rockets — until Wednesday night.
He won Sixth Man of the Year for the Oklahoma City Thunder, but never scored 50 points in a game for them. The Brooklyn Nets surrendered seven years worth of first-round picks for him, but didn’t get a 50-point performance out of him either. Not even the Philadelphia 76ers, run by Harden’s Houston general manager Daryl Morey, could squeeze a 50-point effort out of him.
But now, the Los Angeles Clippers can say they’ve done so. On Wednesday, those Clippers, losers of six of their past seven entering the contest, needed an offensive explosion to survive the Detroit Pistons with Kawhi Leonard sidelined. Harden gave them one, scoring 50 on the dot to reach the milestone for the first time since December of 2019 and 24th time overall as the Clippers prevailed 123-115.
In typical Harden fashion, all of his points came at the free-throw line (16), in the paint (16) or from behind the arc (18). It was an effort the Clippers needed as they attempt to claw their way back into the top six in the Western Conference.
Given the more than five years that have passed since his last 50-piece, the odds of Harden scoring 50 again are unclear.
If he does manage to do so again, though, he’d tie Kobe Bryant for third place on the all-time NBA list with 25. That’s probably as high as he could realistically climb, as No. 2 Michael Jordan has 31 50-point games.
If by some miracle he reached Jordan, he’d be absolutely capped at No. 2. Why? Because Wilt Chamberlain scored 50 points in a game an astonishing 118 times, nearly four times as often as anyone else did. That’s what happens when you average 50 points per game for a whole season.
Whether he finishes fourth, third or second on the list, Harden’s credentials as an all-time scorer have long been cemented. Wednesday was just a cherry on top, a chance for him to show the basketball world that he’s still got it even at 35 years old.
© 2004-2025 CBS Interactive. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc.
The content on this site is for entertainment purposes only and CBS Sports makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the information given or the outcome of any game or event. There is no gambling offered on this site. This site contains commercial content and CBS Sports may be compensated for the links provided on this site.
Images by Getty Images and Imagn
