The Rockets will assure top-tier free agents that they are willing to pay the luxury tax to field a championship-contending team.
Houston's primary target it Dwight Howard, of course, and they are determined to keep the team's core in place while adding a few veterans around James Harden and another max-contract player. The Rockets may have a tricky summer in 2015 when Omer Asik, Jeremy Lin, Chandler Parsons and Patrick Beverley are all scheduled for free agency, but that's something Daryl Morey will happily navigate if D-12 and Harden are under contract.

James Harden said he'll definitely try to recruit free agents to join him in Houston this summer.
Of course, the big name out there is Dwight Howard, who has been linked to Houston if he declines to re-sign with the Lakers. When asked about joining the Rockets' chase for Howard, Harden apparently smiled and said "Maybe. Possibly." With players like Harden, Jeremy Lin, Omer Asik and Chandler Parsons already in place, the Rockets should be a very intriguing destination this summer.

James Harden (strep throat) hit just 7-of-22 shots in Friday's 103-94 elimination loss to the Thunder in Game 6, finishing with 26 points, six rebounds, seven assists, two steals and two blocks in 43 minutes.
Derek Fisher was able to cover him and that should tell folks all they need to know about how Harden felt. The Rockets played a solid brand of basketball this season and with a superstar in play they now need to build around him. Chandler Parsons scored 25 points with seven boards, Francisco Garcia stepped up with 11 points, six rebounds and five assists, and Omer Asik went for 13 and 13 with a steal and two blocks in the loss.

James Harden played through an illness and hit 10-of-16 shots and 7-of-9 3-pointers for 31 points, eight rebounds, three assists and a steal in Wednesday's surprisingly easy Game 5 win at OKC.
He was 7-for-7 from downtown at one point, tying Robert Horry for an NBA record, and outplayed Kevin Durant to help his team get the road win tonight. The Rockets are putting up a better fight than most thought was possible and the home crowd will be worked into a frenzy for Friday's Game 6.

James Harden (illness) will play against the Thunder in Wednesday's Game 5.
There was never really a doubt. The Rockets are facing elimination and with Jeremy Lin saying that he will not play, there will be a lot on Harden's plate. It should be interesting to see how he fares tonight.

James Harden was not feeling well at shootaround and did not participate, but he's expected to play in Wednesday's must-win Game 5.
Harden had a sore throat and reported feeling under the weather, and this isn't going to ease any fantasy owners who watched him cough up 10 turnovers in Monday's Game 4 win. Harden has played big minutes all season and looked like someone who was run down on Monday, and even though he won't be at full strength tonight, the Rockets will need anything and everything he can provide.

James Harden's sub-par outing on Monday didn't prove costly in Houston's 105-103 win over the Thunder, scoring 15 points with one board, three assists, five steals, one block and 10 turnovers on 4-of-12 shooting.
His 10 turnovers are just one off the all-time record for a playoff game and his carelessness with the ball almost came back to bite the Rockets. Harden did lead the NBA in turnovers per game at 3.8, but 5.0 per game in this series is a bit excessive to say the least. Turnovers aside, Houston came on strong in the third quarter, outscoring OKC 38-24. This was the second game in a row in which they dominated the third with a 27-14 advantage in Game 3. Scott Brooks's may need to tinker with his lineup with Russell Westbrook out.

James Harden scored 30 points in Saturday's 104-101 home loss to the Thunder, adding eight boards, six assists, two steals, two blocks and two 3-pointers on 9-of-22 shooting.
He had one of the worst passes in quite some time as he threw the ball right to Derek Fisher with 29 second left and the Rockets down one. The Rockets turned the ball over three times in the last 2:30 after turning it over just eight times prior to that point. They were down 26 points and pulled off an amazing comeback to take the lead in the fourth, but those turnovers proved costly. The Rockets are down 3-0 and will try and start a miracle comeback at home on Monday.

James Harden hit just 9-of-24 shots and 1-of-7 3-pointers, but also hit 17-of-20 free throws to finish with 36 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and a steal in Wednesday's Game 2 loss to the Thunder.
He also committed six turnovers, but regardless of how the Rockets fare in this series, Harden has quickly established himself as one of the best players in the league. And if his shot ever starts falling in this series, he could give us a 50- or 60-point explosion at some point.

James Harden hit just 6-of-19 shots and a 3-pointer for 20 points, six rebounds, two assists and a steal in Sunday's Game 1 blowout loss to the Thunder.
Harden's and Jeremy Lin's (1-of-7) shooting were big problems tonight, and the Rockets never had a chance against the Thunder.

James Harden had 30 points, eight rebounds, three assists, a steal and four 3-pointers as the Rockets fell to the Lakers in overtime in the season's final regular-season NBA game.
It wasn't all gravy for Harden, who hit just 8-of-25 shots, 4-of-13 3-pointers and committed six turnovers in the loss. They will face the hot Thunder in Round 1 of the playoffs as the No. 8 seed, while the Lakers will get the limping Spurs as the No. 7 seed. Tonight was the 23rd game this season where Harden scored at least 30 points.

James Harden didn't have it on Monday at US Airways Center, shooting 5-of-18 from the field and 6-of-11 from the line for 16 points with four boards, two assists and one steal in 34 minutes.
There's no way to explain it, but Harden is suddenly struggling at the line and made just 3-of-7 on Sunday. While he's been struggling from the field since the All-Star break at just 43 percent, Harden's made an impressive 3.0 triples in that span while scoring 26 points per game. The Rockets will face the Lakers on Wednesday with the winner getting the seventh seed in the Western Conference.

James Harden had 29 points, four rebounds and nine assists to help Houston take over the No. 6 seed with a win vs. the Kings on Sunday.
Harden drained 11-of-16 FGs, including four 3-pointers, which overcame his uncharacteristic 3-of-7 shooting at the FT line. The Rockets control their own fate with two games remaining, which should spare Harden from any precautionary DNP-CDs.

James Harden was everywhere against the Grizzlies on Friday with 30 points, seven boards, six assists, two steals, two blocks and five 3-pointers in 44 minutes.
The Grizzlies put some good D on Harden and there's no doubt that Memphis's top-ranked D in the Western Conference kept Harden's offense in check. Harden has an inside track to be the third pick in drafts next year and he's obviously earned his max deal.

James Harden shot 9-of-21 from the field and 13-of-14 from the line in Tuesday's 101-98 win over the Suns, scoring 33 points with six boards, six assists, three steals, one block and two 3-pointers in 44 minutes.
He hit a game-winning three that was called due to basket interference by Jermaine O'Neal. Harden is one of the most efficient scorers in the NBA thanks largely to his league-leading 10.1 free attempts per game. He is fifth in the league in scoring and he's a good bet to be off the board with the third pick of fantasy drafts next year.

James Harden scored just 14 points in Houston's loss to Denver on Saturday, but he made 10-of-10 free throws and in the process set a new franchise record for FTs made in a single season (621).
Harden broke Moses Malone's old free throw record, and he leads the NBA this season with 8.6 makes on 10.1 attempts per game. Unfortunately, the Rockets' four-game win streak was snapped as they gave up 132 points to the Nuggets.

James Harden (foot) returned vs. the Kings, as expected, finishing a double-digit road victory with 21 points, seven rebounds, nine assists and two blocks.
Harden didn't miss a beat after sitting out the past two games, and the Rockets' playoff position (seventh place, 2.5 games ahead of the Jazz and Lakers) should help prevent precautionary DNP-CDs in the final eight games of the regular season.

James Harden (foot) will officially return vs. the Kings on Wednesday.
He was already expected to be in uniform, so hopefully you have him in your active lineups.

James Harden (foot), Chandler Parsons (illness) and Carlos Delfino (foot) were at shootaround Wednesday and should play tonight.
Harden had missed the past two games with the foot injury and his return will be a huge boost to owners still competing for a fantasy title, not to mention the Rockets' playoff hopes. Parsons missed Monday's game with food poisoning and was expected to return after practicing Wednesday Delfino has yet to miss time with the foot but did sit out practice recently to rest it.

James Harden (foot) and Chandler Parsons (illness) both returned to practice on Tuesday.
Parsons missed Monday's game with food poisoning so it was never a long-term concern, but Harden's participation is much more important considering he has missed two straight games with a lingering foot injury. Consider both questionable for Wednesday's game against the Kings, but early indications that they'll play are promising.

Kevin McHale said he'll rely on James Harden to keep him updatedon his injured foot.
Harden had ice and treatment sessions on Monday, and he agreed that "health is definitely more important." Harden is truly in a day-to-day situation but it's hard to see an extended absence for Harden, who has now missed two straight games.

James Harden (foot) has been ruled out on Monday.
He was a game-time decision after missing shootaroumd and this isn't too surprising considering the Rockets' obvious desire to play it safe with their resident MVP. Consider him day-to-day.

James Harden (foot) did not participate in shootaround on Monday, and his status vs. the Magic is unknown.
Harden did not play on Saturday against the Clippers due to his lingering foot issue, and it's possible he'll be a true game-time call if he's got a chance of playing on Monday. If Harden's foot prevents him from playing, James Anderson would likely start again with Francisco Garcia and Carlos Delfino seeing extended run off the bench.

James Harden (foot) will not playagainst the Clippers on Saturday.
In a week that has been loaded with bad news, this may have been the biggest. Harden has been the third best player in fantasy all year and fantasy owners are going to be hamstrung with him out. His foot injury has been bothering him for a while and there's a chance that he has to miss Monday's game vs. Orlando. James Anderson will get the start at shooting guard and guys like Jeremy Lin, Carlos Delfino and Chandler Parsons figure to have their roles expanded.

James Harden struggled in Friday's loss to the Grizzlies, scoring seven points on 3-of-9 shooting with one rebound, four assists, two steals and a trey in 27 minutes.
Kevin McHale ran with his second unit down the stretch and the Grizzlies threw Tony Allen and plenty of double-teams on Harden. McHale talked about resting Harden and that seems unlikely in the thick of the playoff chase, but he got his first unit some rest with his bench playing well in the fourth quarter tonight. The Rockets turn around and play the Clips on Saturday, which was surely on the coach's mind.

James Harden shot 6-of-24 from the field for 22 points with four boards, eight assists, one steal and three 3-pointers in 43 minutes during a loss to the Pacers on Wednesday.
He got his fair share of Paul George on defense and Harden has struggled in last five, shooting 35.4 percent from the field. He's still doing a ton in every other area outside of blocks and he'll be in the running for the third pick in fantasy drafts next year.

The Rockets could begin to cut back the playing time of James Harden and Chandler Parsons before the playoffs begin.
It's one thing to say it and another thing to actually do it considering how important both players are to the Rockets success. Parsons is averaging 36 minutes this season while Harden is averaging 36.5, but they've played heavy minutes all season and the team wants both fresh for the playoffs. With the Rockets still fighting for playoff positioning, we expect Kevin McHale to continue to rely on his workhorses.

James Harden finished Sunday's game with nine rebounds, six assists, two steals, two blocks and a game-high 29 points, including a jumper that won the game for Houston with 4.5 seconds remaining.
Harden shot 6-of-16 from the field, but as usual he did just as much damage at the line, making 15-of-17 freebies. He even limited himself to one turnover, putting him a few made FGs away from a pure nine-cat delight.

James Harden's foot is no longer bothering him and it's not expected to be an issue moving forward.
Harden had Monday off before returning to practice on Tuesday, and after it looked like Harden might have to take a game or two off last week due to his foot soreness, it's apparently a non-issue at this point. That's good news for the Rockets and for fantasy owners as Harden has been rolling since the All-Star break with averages of 27.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.9 steals and a whopping 3.6 3-pointers per game. Harden is shooting 46.7 percent from deep over that span.

James Harden nearly triple-doubled in Sunday's blowout loss, scoring 21 points with three 3-pointers, 10 rebounds, eight assists and three steals.
Harden's right foot is still sore but he's been a dynamo for the past two games, and there are no signs that he'll take any games off down the stretch. A DNP seems even less likely considering this loss puts the Rockets just 1.5 games ahead of the ninth-place Jazz (who were idle on Sunday).

James Harden exploded despite a foot issue in the Rockets' 108-100 win over the Wolves on Friday, scoring 37 points on 8-of-16 shooting (5-of-10 from deep, 16-of-18 from the line) with seven rebounds and eight assists in 43 minutes.
This is why we said to keep him in lineups, as his worst nights are better than most guys' best nights and he always has the chance of going big like this. The Rockets came back from 20 points down and broke their franchise team record for 3-pointers in a season. Jeremy Lin added 24 points, eight assists, three treys and four steals in the win.

Updating an earlier item, James Harden (foot) will play on Friday against the Wolves.
Harden is not 100 percent, but there is no way he should be on owners' benches tonight.

Rockets trainer Keith Jones says James Harden (sore right foot) will play Friday night.
Harden is considered a game-time decision, but he also went through a full practice Thursday, which would seem to be a sign in favor of him suiting up tonight. It sounds like fantasy owners should feel good about putting Harden and his troublesome foot in the lineup, but check back closer to the 8 p.m. ET tip-off just to be safe.

Updating a previous item, James Harden's foot is "still an issue," and he will be a game-time decision on Friday against the Timberwolves.
Harden went through practice on Thursday, so it's a little surprising that they'd let him practice at less than full strength witha game on Friday. Regardless, Kevin McHale said the team is "trying to determine" the best possible course of action to have Harden at "as close as possible" to full strength for the stretch run, and it sounds like there is a real possibility of Harden taking some time off. If he does sit, Carlos Delfino would likely start at shooting guard.

James Harden (foot) did not practice on Thursday, but he's expected to play on Friday against the Timberwolves.
Harden took Thursday's practice off as a "day to rest" since he's battling through a sore foot, but we fully anticipate him being ready to roll on Friday.

James Harden played through a sore foot Wednesday and had 18 points, two rebounds, four assists and three steals on 4-of-7 shooting in 32 minutes.
The Rockets destroyed the Suns tonight and while this wasn't one of his better fantasy lines, he should be fine going forward.

James Harden (sore right foot) was back at practice on Tuesday and is expected to play on Wednesday against the Suns.
Harden has not been himself at times over the past couple of weeks, but he has still been an elite fantasy play. Use him as you normally would.

James Harden (sore right foot) did not practice on Monday.
Omer Asik was also limited, but only to get some rest, and both guys are expected to play vs. the Suns on Wednesday.

The Rockets fell in Phoenix despite James Harden's game-high 38 points, seven 3-pointers, five rebounds, eight assists and one steal.
Harden tied his season-high with eight turnovers, but he also drained 11-of-17 FGs and 9-of-12 FTs. It's nice to see him bounce back after shooting a combined 8-of-34 in the past two games, and the only real downside for fantasy owners is the Rockets' weekly schedule down the stretch, which concludes 3-3-3-4-3-2.

James Harden hit 3-of-17 shots (3-of-8 3PTs, 11-of-14 FTs) for 20 points to go with six rebounds, 11 assists and three steals in Friday's win against the Warriors.
The Warriors aren't exactly a tough cover so this outing plays into the concerns owners have had over Harden's recent shooting, which may be hindered by a knee issue that popped up on the radar about a week ago. We haven't heard much about the injury and this could be a garden variety slump, but it's worth keeping an eye on.

The Rockets have agreed to extend GM Daryl Morey for four more years.
Morey has one year left on his current deal, so he'll now be committed to the Rockets for the next five years. Owner Leslie Alexander said that Morey has done "a terrific job" during his Rockets tenure, and Houston will enter the offseason with a ton of cap space to add to an already talented core.

James Harden shot 5-of-17 from the field and made all 16 free throws for 28 points with four boards, nine assists, two steals and two 3-pointers in 39 minutes against the Mavericks on Wednesday.
Despite the poor shooting from the floor, Harden was able to come up with a nice performance in the box score. He's a living, breathing fantasy machine on offense with 67.1 percent of his field goal coming at the rim or from downtown, adding a stellar 85.2 percent at the charity stripe at a 10.0 shot-per-game clip. Harden has reached superstar status this year.

James Harden returned to action on Friday March 1.

James Harden didn't look like his old self in Friday's win over the Magic with 24 points, seven boards, eight assists, three steals and one block in 40 minutes.
He wasn't quite as aggressive in halfcourt sets, but he did look healthy and there were no signs to suggest he was bothered by a knee issue. Harden missed shootaround on Thursday, but he looks to be close enough to 100 percent to not devalue him as the third-best asset in fantasy hoops.

James Harden (knee) and Jeremy Lin (ankle) will both play and start Friday, as expected.
The Rockets are desperately trying to hang on to the West's final playoff spot, so Harden and Lin are going to suit up at less than 100 percent. They should have no problem shredding a Magic team that ranks 22nd in the league in defensive field-goal percentage.

James Harden (knee) and Jeremy Lin (ankle) are each going through shootaround on Friday.
Lin is expected to play while Harden's status is not yet known. We would be really surprised if Harden doesn't suit up after a day off on Thursday, but stranger things have certainly happened. We'll give you more when we know Harden's designation.

James Harden (ankle) and Jeremy Lin (hand) did not participate in practice Thursday and are considered game-time decisions Friday against the Magic.
Rockets coach Kevin McHale said his starting backcourt is "banged up" and he didn't know whether they'd be able to play Friday. Harden and Lin have been dealing with their injuries since before the All-Star break. While the bum wheel hasn't been able to slow down Harden, Lin's had three straight rough games and might need a night off. Owners will want to check after shootaround Friday to see how the Houston duo is feeling.

James Harden torched his former team in a huge win with a career-high 46 points on 14-of-19 shooting with eight boards, six assists, one steal, one block and seven 3-pointers on Wednesday.
Unreal. He made 11-of-12 from the line and scoring 46 points on just 19 field goal attempts is as ridiculous as it gets. Harden has been the engine to the NBA's fastest paced offense and also leads the NBA in fastbreak points per game by a sizable 1.5 points this year. There shouldn't even be an argument about which player should come off the board at three in fantasy drafts for next year right now.

James Harden scored 15 points to help the Western Conference win the All-Star game on Sunday, and he said afterward that his ankle "was real good."
The All-Star game is totally meaningless in the NBA, and we never doubted Harden would suit up, but this should alleviate any concerns his fantasy owners had heading into the All-Star break.

James Harden (ankle) will play in Sunday's All-Star game.
He was expected to play since it's on his home floor, but it's still unclear how much playing time he will receive. Harden suiting up for Sunday is a good sign for him to play this week for his upcoming three-game week. It begins on Wednesday as he hosts his former team.

Rockets owner Leslie Alexander said this weekend that he will re-sign Daryl Morey before his contract expires after the 2013-14 season.
Alexander is specifically pleased with the moves that netted James Harden, Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik. "We'll re-up him," he said. "The general manager is the one person in your organization you can really judge. He can make good moves or bad moves. This year, I think he's made three terrific moves." In other news, multiple Rockets sources suggest the team isn't weighing any trade offers prior to the deadline, as they prefer to maintain cap space for free agency.

James Harden (ankle) remains questionable for Sunday's All-Star game.
With the game in Houston, Harden wants to at least make an appearance. But he won't do anything to jeopardize his availability for the Rockets' first game after the break -- Wednesday against the Thunder. Harden did say that his swelling is just about gone.

James Harden (ankle) says he will be ready "to do the things I want to do" in time for Sunday's All-Star Game.
Harden said he's still treating the sprained ankle which kept him out of Wednesday's game against the Clippers. With the game being in Houston and Harden looked at as the unofficial host player, we'd be pretty surprised if he didn't suit up Sunday. Harden also should be good to go after the break assuming he doesn't aggravate it during the All-Star Game.

James Harden said that the swelling in his ankle has reduced, but he's not certain if he'll play in the All-Star game.
Harden's able to walk without assistance, and with the game in his hometown, it's going to take a lot to keep him off of the court, even if it's just for a couple of minutes. We expect him to be good to go after the All-Star festivities wrap up.

Updating a previous item, James Harden (ankle) will not play in Wednesday's game against the Clippers.
After warming up, Harden felt soreness in his ankle and the Rockets will keep him out of the lineup. The good news is that he should be ready to go following the All-Star break. Chandler Parsons and Carlos Delfino should slide over to shooting guard more often and guys like Marcus Morris and Patrick Patterson will get more playing time, too. Basically, it'll be a team effort to replace Harden tonight.

James Harden (ankle) will start against the Clippers on Wednesday.
He's certainly earning his max deal. Harden went through normal warmups and he's simply too good to even think about benching with this news. There were reports of Harden missing the game immediately following Tuesday's game and we'll be watching to see he battles through the injury.

James Harden (ankle, knee) attended a team meeting Wednesday and is still hoping to play tonight against the Clippers.
Harden says he's a game-time decision despite being so banged up. Marc Spears of Yahoo! reported last night that Harden would not play Wednesday but Harden continues to say he hopes to play in the final game before the All-Star break. We'd still be pretty surprised if Harden does choose to play with the All-Star weekend (in Houston) only days away. Owners will want to check back before tip-off to see if he can convince the Rockets coaches to let him suit up. Carlos Deflino could get the start if Harden its out.

James Harden returned to action on Tuesday February 12.

James Harden suffered a sprained sprained ankle, to go along with a sore knee, and has already been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Clippers, according to Marc Spears of Yahoo!.
Harden somehow played through the injury on Tuesday night as the Rockets beat the Warriors, and finished with 27 points, seven rebounds, five assists, three steals and two 3-pointers on 7-of-22 shooting in 39 minutes. Harden could barely walk on his ankle when the injury happened, but got re-taped and played through it. It's going to swell overnight and while we doubt he'll play Wednesday, it's possible he could feel well enough to give it a go, as Spears' report came out very quickly after the game. But the plan is to keep him out against the Clips, and then he'll likely play some minutes in the All-Star Games, which just happens to be in Houston. Plan on benching him Wednesday, but check back for updates just in case the Rockets change their mind closer to game time. Carlos Delfino is a candidate to start in his place.

James Harden suffered a left leg injury in the third quarter of Tuesday's game and has returned to the game.
He was driving to the basket in transition, tried to put on one of his patented Euro-step moves, then went down in a heap. Harden did take the subsequent free throws, but the Rockets committed a foul to get him out of the lineup. The All-Star hobbled badly to the locker room, but returned just a few minutes later. Crisis averted.

James Harden (knee) participated in Tuesday's morning shootaround.
This should alleviate any concern over Harden's sore left knee. If there was any question about his status, he'd certainly sit out the shootaround. Harden has missed just one game all year and he appears to be in no danger of missing Tuesday night's potential shootaround with the Warriors. Las Vegas has listed the over/under at 219 total points.

James Harden (sore left knee) didn't practice on Monday and he's officially listed as day-to-day.

James Harden stayed hot in a loss at Sacramento with 30 points, six rebounds, four assists, one steal and two 3-pointers on 10-of-20 shooting on Sunday.
His game is made for fantasy basketball. Over his last three games, 76.5 percent of his field goals have either been at the rim or from 3-point range. Harden is ranked third in standard leagues behind Kevin Durant and LeBron James and is showing no signs of slowing down. He's also scored at least 30 points and shot over 50 percent from the field in each game.

James Harden turned in the biggest line of a 12-game Friday night with 36 points, seven rebounds, 11 assists, one steal and four 3-pointers on 13-of-16 from the field in a win over the Blazers.
He made his first nine attempts from the field and over his last two games, he's shot a combined 23-of-32. Harden leads the NBA in drives to the hoop per game with 29 and he's absolutely worth the max deal he received. If he hasn't reached the top tier of fantasy assets with LeBron James and Kevin Durant yet, he's awfully close.

James Harden hit 10-of-16 shots and four 3-pointers four 36 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and three steals in Wednesday's loss to the Heat.
Harden is a fantasy stud and hasn't cooled off, averaging 24 points, 6.6 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 2.0 steals and 2.2 3-pointers over his last five games, while shooting a nasty 53 percent from the floor, 50 percent from downtown and 80 percent from the line over that stretch. If you were lucky enough to draft him this year, you should be doing well in your fantasy league.

James Harden racked up his first career triple-double as the Rockets held off the Bobcats in Houston, scoring 21 points with 11 rebounds, 11 assists, one steal and one block.
The Bobcats' defense is terrible by any measure, but that doesn't detract from Harden's big night. Most importantly, he helped the Rockets maintain their slight edge for the eighth seed in the West -- Portland trails them by one game, and the Lakers are three and a half games back.

James Harden made all 12 of his free throws and shot 8-of-15 from the field for 30 points in a win over the Hornets on Friday, adding four boards, eight assists, one steal and two 3-pointers.
He's the only player in the league taking double-digit attempts at the line per game and he's also the leader in makes. Harden has certainly earned his max extension and he's being a superstar in the NBA.

James Harden scored 23 points with two 3-pointers, three rebounds, seven assists and one steal on Wednesday, but he also turned the ball over seven times.
The turnovers hurt but this was actually a nice sight considering he shot 25 percent from the field in his previous four games. The Beard shook off a hard fall in the second quarter, returning after less than a minute of action, but the league is very cautious about head injuries so we'll keep an eye on him as a precaution.

The Rockets escaped with a win on Monday behind James Harden's 29 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and two steals.
Harden capitalized on one of his greatest strengths, making 19-of-21 FTs, which helped offset his miserable 5-of-20 FGs. He's been ice-cold in the Rockets' past four road games, shooting 25 percent, and admitted this weekend that he's "not playing to the best of [his] ability." His shots will start to fall eventually, and at least he's still filling up the boxscore in other areas.

Rockets GM Daryl Morey said that he doesn't anticipate making a major trade before the deadline.
"There's a few reasons," he said as to why nobody should be expecting a major shakeup. "They're all 23-ish, pretty much all our guys. We'd like to grow together. And we have a clear and persent way to upgrade without trades with all the cap room," he added. While we're never going to count the Rockets out of anything with Morey at the helm, it doesn't sound like much is brewing on Houston's trade front right now.

James Harden hit just 5-of-19 shots for 17 points against Paul George and the Pacers on Friday.
Harden snaps a streak of 20 straight games with 20 or more points, but he still managed to post three treys, five rebounds, seven assists, one steal, and four blocks. George did a number on Harden tonight, and owners trying to move in on the Beard won't get many more chances like this.

James Harden hit just 5-of-23 shots and 1-of-8 3-pointers for 20 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals in Wednesday's loss to the Mavs.
Harden's in a mini-slump after hitting just 8-of-20 shots in his previous game, but it's hard to be mad at him, as he's still averaging 24 points, five rebounds, five assists, 1.8 steals and 1.8 3-pointers on 41 percent shooting over his last five games. His shot will start falling, so don't sweat the two off nights.

James Harden played 45 minutes in a loss to the Sixers on Saturday and had 29 points, nine rebounds, six assists, two steals and two 3-pointers.
The 45 minutes are his second most in a game this year and he has scored at least 21 points in 19 consecutive games. Harden is taking 6.5 triples per game this year and shooting 46 percent from the field. He's certainly proven to be worth of his max deal.

James Harden shot 4-of-7 from the line and 9-of-19 from the field for 24 points with one rebound, five assists, two steals, one block and two 3-pointers in a loss to the Celtics on Friday.
He had his consecutive 25-point game streak snapped tonight. Harden has been a fantasy machine with his assist and relentlessly attacking the hoop for loads of free throws. He's also tailor-made for point production with 67.2 percent of his field goal attempts coming either at the rim or from 3-point range. The Beard is an elite fantasy asset.

James Harden scored 31 points on 11-of-19 shooting, hit all eight of his free throws, and a 3-pointer as the Rockets beat the Lakers for their fifth straight win.
Harden added six boards and nine rebounds, and also tweaked his ankle near the end of the game. He appeared to be fine and we aren't concerned enough to put him on the injury list, but owners should keep an eye out for news on Wednesday in case it swells on him overnight. The Rockets are at New Orleans on Wednesday night.

James Harden had a career-high seven steals against the Cavs on Saturday to go with 29 points, two rebounds, three assists, one block and three 3-pointers.
The Beard also made a living at the line, making 14-of-15 attempts and he's been one of the most aggressive players in the league in that department. The Rockets playing at the fastest pace in the league has helped him accumulate first-round value in fantasy leagues.

James Harden hit 11-of-23 shots and two 3-pointers on his way to 31 points, two rebounds and seven assists in a win over the Hornets.
Harden is cooking again, scoring 30-plus in three of his last five games and averaging 29.4 points, 3.6 boards, 4.6 assists, 1.6 steals and 2.2 3-pointers on 45 percent shooting over that run. The shooting slump appears to be over.