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Harden's incredible streak continues with latest 40-point triple-double

Bob Levey / Getty Images Sport / Getty

James Harden is just about unstoppable right now.

The Houston Rockets star scored 43 points in Friday night's 141-113 win against the Cleveland Cavaliers to surpass Tracy McGrady for the second-longest streak since the 1976-77 NBA-ABA merger with his 15th consecutive game with 30 points or more.

Kobe Bryant holds the record with 16 straight games during the 2002-03 season.

Harden also joins Bryant as the only players since the merger to average 40 points over a 15-game span.

The six-time All-Star shot 12-for-24 from the field, 8-for-16 from downtown, and a perfect 11-for-11 from the charity stripe on Friday night.

With eight 3-pointers made, Harden moved into 13th on the NBA's all-time list, surpassing Bryant and Chauncey Billups.

The 29-year-old also stretched his NBA record of five or more made 3-pointers to 12 consecutive games.

"The stepback threes - he's perfected that," Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni said, according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon. "He's got 16 threes (attempted) and they're all stepbacks. I don't know how he does it. He's in a space about (a foot wide), everybody knows what he's doing and he still gets them off. They're not like they're forced. He's just an incredible player."

Harden added 10 boards and 12 assists for his 41st career triple-double and his fourth 40-point triple-double this season. The remainder of the NBA has combined for just one, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.

The guard's 12th career 40-point triple-double moved him past Russell Westbrook for the second most in NBA history. He's the first player to accomplish the feat in fewer than 30 minutes played.

Heading into Friday's game, the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player was averaging a career-high 33.9 points per contest.

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