Rockets superstar furthers MVP claim with NBA's first 60-point T-D

HOUSTON - With the Houston Rockets missing some key players, James Harden knew he'd have to do a little more on Tuesday night.

Even he couldn't have imagined he'd do this much.

Harden became the first player in NBA history to score 60 points as part of a triple-double as the shorthanded Rockets beat the Orlando Magic 114-107.

"I just gave it all I had tonight," Harden said. "We all did. We all fought for 48 minutes, we got key stops when we needed to and we made big shots."

Harden scored 18 points in the fourth quarter to eclipse the 57 points Calvin Murphy scored in 1978 to break Houston's single-game scoring record.

After Harden broke the record, TV cameras showed a shot of Murphy, who works on the television broadcast team, smiling and clapping for 'The Beard', who also had 10 rebounds and 11 assists.

The game was tied at 107 after a bucket by Marreese Speights with just under four minutes to play.

Neither team scored for more than two minutes after that before Harden took over, scoring the next six points to make it 113-107 with 45 seconds left.

He set the scoring mark when he stepped back and made a 3-pointer before crashing to the court after being fouled by Mario Hezonja.

Harden then made the free throw to give him 60 points, bringing the crowd to its feet.

"Amazing ... and he topped it off with a four-point play at the end," coach Mike D'Antoni said. "But we had to have every minute from him."

Harden, who also had four steals and a block, grabbed his 10th rebound a few seconds later to give him his third triple double this season.

He made 17 of 18 free throws and was 19 of 30 from the floor with five 3 pointers, but said he didn't realize he was the first player with 60 points in a triple-double.

"It's a good feeling, I guess," he said. "I just try to go out there and make an impact every single night on the game, however I can. Whether it's scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, whatever it is."

Hezonja and Speights scored 17 points each for Orlando, which dropped its third straight.

The Rockets started the game without Chris Paul, who has a sore groin, and Trevor Ariza, who is dealing with a strained hamstring.

Houston lost another player when Eric Gordon, who is second on the team in scoring with 19.5 points a game, left early in the second quarter with lower back stiffness.

"I looked at coach and said: 'Eric can't go,'" Harden said "He said go get 'em. After that, I didn't come out of the game."

Harden's big night came as he played 46 minutes and 26 seconds, which was a career high for a regulation game.

"I was shocked to see that," Speights said of Harden's impressive endurance. "He didn't really get subbed out and that shows the growth in his game and the maturity in his game."

It was his fourth 50-point game this season and Tuesday's performance bested his previous career high of 56 set in November against Utah.

"I have never seen a performance like that," teammate Gerald Green said. "I caught myself just being a true fan throughout the game ... what he did was remarkable."