Houston Rockets: Top 5 moments from James Harden’s 30-point streak

5. The Beard elevates over The Stifle Tower

In a contest that took place eight days before Christmas, James Harden found it within himself to play a Grinch-like role against a familiar foe, deciding to fiercely take on a head-to-head challenge — and throwing down a vicious dunk — over one of the game’s premier shot blockers.

With 4:29 left to play in the third quarter, Harden utilized his quick first step to blow by Donovan Mitchell and drove right to place Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert on an official highlight poster. This sent the majority of Rockets fans into a complete frenzy on Harden’s way to a 47-point night at the Toyota Center.

"“I still got some juice in these legs,” Harden said, per the Associated Press following the Rockets’ 102-97 victory against Utah. “The lane was open all night. The bigs were going back, taking away the lob, so I had to get to the rim and finish.”"

Although one who watched the game could argue that The Beard’s spectacular slam was not the play that came to define the final outcome in this particular Western Conference showdown, no one can deny it helped shift the momentum of the contest.