James Harden is playing even better than he did when he won MVP

James Harden went off on Christmas Day for 41 points in 39 minutes in Houston’s 113-109 win over Oklahoma City on Tuesday. The Rockets trailed by as many as 11 in the first half, but it was The Beard’s play that closed the gap and secured yet another tough win for this Houston team.

Harden hasn’t been discussed much to repeat as Most Valuable Player — not with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis and LeBron James in the picture. But with yet another 40-point performance, this time against one of the premier perimeter defenses in the NBA, it’s hard to exclude him from the list, especially with Houston having won 7 of its last 8 games.

After the Rockets’ slow start, Harden has righted the ship, and he’s slowly reclaimed MVP form along the way.

Harden’s 41-point game against Oklahoma City was his seventh straight game with 30 or more points. That’s the second-longest streak of 30-point games in Rockets history behind Moses Malone, who had 13, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

Harden’s afternoon against the Thunder was also the seventh 40-point performance of his season. Anthony Davis has five 40-point games, and no other players have more than four, according to data from Basketball-Reference.

Altogether, Harden is averaging 32 points, 8.4 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game. He won Most Valuable Player of the Year last season with averages of 30 points, 8.8 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game. The numbers are virtually the same, but Houston’s start wasn’t. Now, though, the Rockets are finding their stride, and Harden is leading the charge even with Chris Paul injured and badly out of form.

It’s a long season, even longer in the loaded Western Conference. But the Rockets have hit their stride, and Harden’s play is at the center of their success. He got his shot off whenever he wanted against whoever was in front of him. Few people can slow Harden down.

The Beard is back, and he looks better than ever.