A defender on either side of him, James Harden let it fly one last time for an improbable game-winner in the waning seconds of overtime before falling backward and hitting the floor.
It took his second triple-double of the week, fifth straight 40-point performance and sheer will to rally the Houston Rockets past the Golden State Warriors 135-134 in a thriller between Western Conference powers Thursday night for their sixth straight victory.
Harden hit a contested 3-pointer with 2.7 seconds left in OT and finished with 44 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds. The reigning MVP’s team had trailed by 20.
“I take my shots, I drive to the basket,” Harden said. “I shoot my step-backs with confidence and live with the results.”
Kevin Durant’s long 3-pointer missed as the buzzer sounded in what will go down as one of the best games this regular season – a rematch of the seven-game Western Conference finals won by two-time defending champion Golden State.
Stephen Curry put the Warriors ahead with 23.1 seconds remaining in OT on the way to 35 points, a basket that shouldn’t have counted because Durant was clearly out of bounds when he flung the ball back in.
Durant said he knew it, too, and “I could believe it because the refs were missing a lot tonight.”
Harden, however, had one more incredible, acrobatic moment still in him. He released the ball swarmed by two defenders – Klay Thompson to his left and Draymond Green in front of him.
Harden also hit 3-pointers at the 3:52 and 2:02 marks of OT in a game featuring dazzling displays on both ends by some of the game’s biggest stars.
“I don’t know where it ranks but I’m just happy to come away with the win,” Harden said.
