NBA scores 2016: James Harden continues to create for teammates

Harden picked up another triple-double, this time in just three quarters of play.

Nov 18, 2016, 1:00 PM UTC

NBA: Portland Trail Blazers at Houston Rockets

Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports

For NBA fans who thought James Harden at point guard made no sense, it’s time to concede.

Harden calmly picked up his third triple-double of the season in the third quarter of Houston’s 126-109 win over Portland, finding guys like Trevor Ariza, Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon, who combined for nine three-pointers.

Watch The Beard set up Ariza for a corner three with his patented euro-step that freezes C.J. McCollum just long enough to create an uncontested look.

Not quite satisfied? Here’s Harden’s first-quarter highlights, where he put up half of his numbers.

If you need more Beard, we’ve got you covered here.

The Rockets now sit at a cool 7-5 record, trapped in a four-way tie for fourth place in the Western Conference. And Harden is on pace to seriously compete for that coveted NBA Most Valuable Player award.

Jabari Parker does his best Kobe Bryant impersonation

Remember when Kobe wore No. 8 and was dunking all over people like a maxed-out NBA 2K17 MyPlayer with the game sliders on 100? If you don’t, here’s a friendly reminder as to why he’s a first ballot Hall of Famer.

Well, Jabari Parker certainly remembers these days. And as a tribute to the retired Mamba, Parker brought the house down with silky smooth transition finish Bryant would approve of.

Maybe Parker was trying to one-up his teammate, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who had his own highlight-reel jam Wednesday night.

Somehow, with all that talent, the Bucks (5-6) lost to a Miami Heat team (3-8) lacking a go-to option on offense.

Thursday’s top performances

James Harden (26 points, 14 assists, 12 rebounds, 3 steals, 9-for-11 FT)

Harden notched his third triple-double on the season, continuing to chase Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson and Tiny Archibald, the only players to average 30 points and 10 assists in a season. Through 12 games, Harden is at 28.7 points, 12.6 assists and 7.8 rebounds per game with a Player Efficiency Rating of 30.3.

Did we mention he can dance, too?

C.J. McCollum (26 points, 11-for-19 shooting)

The impressive stat here is McCollum made only one three-pointer and three free throws. His shot chart tells the story. (via ESPN.com)

That’s a man’s game, right there.

John Wall (23 points, 11 assists, plus-20)

Wall did whatever he wanted to a Knicks team looking to build on its first back-to-back wins of the season. His Wizards, though, are only 3-8.

Andrew Wiggins (35 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal)

14-for-20 from the field, 3-for-6 from downtown. If he plays like this every night, the T’Wolves can be scary.

Then again, this was done against Philly.

Hassan Whiteside (12 points, 17 rebounds, 7 blocks, 2 steals)

That once immature kid playing for the Kings has turned into a beast in the paint. Not sure if prime time Tony Parker could get a floater over the top of this guy.