After chaotic offseason, James Harden drops 44 points, 17 assists in Rockets' opener

It’s hard to say what the on-court expectations are for a player making his debut after several weeks of trying to force his way out of an organization while openly partying at clubs during a pandemic, but it seems safe to declare that James Harden exceeded them in the Houston Rockets’ season opener.

The Rockets star dropped 44 points and 17 assists in his first game with the shorthanded Rockets against the Portland Trail Blazers. That included a would-be game-winning 3-pointer:

We said “would-be game-winner” because C.J. McCollum responded with a 3-pointer of his own to give the Blazers a 128-126 win. The game eventually ended with a turnover from Harden, whose pass out of the lane was intercepted by former teammate Robert Covington.

In a game with both teams throwing haymakers, perhaps the most shocking thing was how much Harden looked like his usual self.

The stat line: 44 points. 17 assists, 4 rebounds and 4 turnovers in 43 minutes. That wouldn’t look at all out of place on Harden’s game log last year, or the year before. He was 12-for-22 from the field and 6-for-13 from 3-point range, with his usual 16 trips to the free throw line.

The man barely looked like he missed a step, and that is good news for the Rockets as they try to either convince Harden that he can win in Houston, or squeeze every last asset out of a potential trade partner.