In Game 3 of the 2019 West semi-finals between the Rockets and two-time defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors, reigning MVP James Harden scored a team-high 41 points to go with nine rebounds and six assists as Houston won at Toyota Center, 126-121.
Harden’s total from the May 4, 2019 game (box score) included two critical shots over Andre Iguodala in the final minute of overtime to secure the victory. The Game 3 win brought life back to the series, with Harden’s Rockets cutting Golden State’s lead in half.
The Rockets needed every bit of Harden’s late heroics, since Kevin Durant led the Warriors with a game-high 46 points. Draymond Green had a triple-double with 19 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists.
Harden backed up his Game 3 performance with 38 points and 10 rebounds in the ensuing Game 4 as Houston tied the series. Rockets GM Daryl Morey recently referred to that Game 4 showing as his favorite Harden game over the MVP’s eight seasons to date in Houston.
The top-seeded Warriors ultimately won the series over the No. 4 Rockets in six games. Golden State then went on to capture its fifth consecutive Western Conference championship.
