Born on Aug. 26, 1989, Houston Rockets star James Harden is playing basketball on his birthday for the first time in his distinguished career.
That date almost always falls in the NBA offseason. But the unique timing of the 2020 playoffs, owing to the league’s multi-month COVID-19 hiatus, means that the NBA’s 2019-20 campaign is still going.
Moreover, this isn’t just any game for Harden and the Rockets. With their first-round playoff series against Oklahoma City tied at two games apiece, NBA history shows that the winner of Game 5 in 2-2 scenarios goes on to win the series more than 80 percent of the time.
Now 31 years old, that happens to be the age that Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon won his first NBA title with the Rockets in 1994. Harden and the Rockets would love for lightning to strick twice with that number, and a birthday victory in Game 5 is the optimal place to start.
James Harden turns 31 years old tomorrow. (Happy birthday, @JHarden13!)
That also happens to be the age at which Hakeem Olajuwon won his first #Rockets title. Getting a birthday win would be an optimal place to start. #OneMission
— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) August 26, 2020
Harden, an All-Star guard and MVP finalist, is averaging 32.0 points, 8.8 assists, and 7.8 rebounds per game in this series against the Thunder. But to win on his birthday, the Rockets might need even more than that from the NBA’s three-time defending scoring champion, since they will again be without co-star Russell Westbrook due to injury.
Can “The Beard” deliver? We’ll find out shortly. Game 5 between the Rockets and Thunder tips off at 5:30 p.m. Central on Wednesday evening, with a national broadcast on TNT and a regional version (with Houston announcers) on AT&T SportsNet Southwest.
In honor of Harden’s 30th birthday, Rockets Wire put together this “30 for 30” compilation of his 30 best performances with the franchise through 2019. The team is hoping it can be “31 for 31” after tonight.
