Top 100 moments of the 2018-19 NBA season, Part 2

1. James Harden leads epic comeback against Warriors with 44-point triple-double and game-winning 3

The Houston Rockets hadn’t quite re-established themselves as the other elite team in the Western Conference by this point, but their thrilling comeback win over the Golden State Warriors in early January proved to be prophetic — not just for the team’s prospects as a contender, but for the historic individual stretch James Harden had already embarked on.

Early in the game, it seemed like the Dubs were going to roll over their weakened Western rival, building a 20-point lead on a night where Chris Paul was still out injured. Instead, a 44-point, 15-assist, 10-rebound triple-double from the Beard led the Rockets back from the brink against the most feared team in the association.

https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1081193565991157761

Not only did Harden hit the 3-pointer that tied the game at 119 with 43.1 seconds left to force overtime, but he also drilled the most clutch shot of the entire 2018-19 campaign in the extra period.

With 5.5 seconds left and the Rockets trailing by two, Harden caught the inbounds pass from the sideline near half-court. Klay Thompson was draped all over him as he went to work, dribbling toward a P.J. Tucker screen that saw his defender — Draymond Green, former Defensive Player of the Year — step up to help out.

However, before two of the league’s best defenders could trap the reigning MVP, Harden let it fly from 29 feet out, finding nothing but the bottom of the net. It was an insanely difficult shot, and one he probably got fouled on, that gave Houston a one-point lead with one second left.

It was the 11th 40-15-10 game in NBA history, and Harden’s second. It was his definitive MVP moment, whether his candidacy winds up earning him the requisite votes or not. It capped off a 12-game stretch where he averaged a 40-9-6 stat line and led the Rockets to an 11-1 record, moving them all the way up from 14th in the West to fourth.

The man even had Warriors fans begrudgingly admitting that was the best performance they’d ever seen in their lives. Whether or not Harden wins MVP, whether or not the Rockets and Warriors meet in the conference finals again, and whether or not you like the the Beard … this was the definitive game of the 2018-19 NBA regular season.