Harden drops 58 points to guide Rockets by Heat

Rockets guard James Harden scored 58 points in Houston's win over the Miami Heat on Thursday night for his sixth 50-point game of the season.

No other player in the NBA has more than one this season.

Harden, who also had 10 assists, 8 3-pointers, 7 rebounds and 4 steals and went 18-for-18 from the free throw line, said he had a good rhythm going.

"I don't worry about missing shots or making shots," he said. "I worry about taking the shots that I work on. And they're gonna go in eventually. You know, so...whether I shoot two for 30 or 15, 16 for 30. I mean, those shots are gonna get shot."

It was Harden's seventh career game with 50 points and 10 assists, more than twice as many as any other player in NBA history.

It was his 14th career 50-point game, putting him fifth on the all-time list behind Wilt Chamberlain (118), Michael Jordan (31), Kobe Bryant (25) and Elgin Baylor (17).

It was Harden's 23rd 40-point game of the season. He passed Michael Jordan (1989-90) for the third most such games in a season over the last 50 seasons. Only MJ in 1986-87 (37) and Kobe Bryant in 2005-06 (27) have had more.

"I didn't really feel anything. I wasn't really paying attention to that," Harden said of his points total. "I was worried about getting stops and trying to play my butt off. Create some energy in the building."