Harden, Wall named NBA players of the week

James Harden and John Wall have been named NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, Dec. 26 through Sunday, Jan. 1.

Harden, who has been an MVP candidate all season, had another great week. He averaged 37.3 points per game to lead the NBA and ranked second in the league in assists (12.5) and finishing tied for eighth in the West in rebounding (9.8). He shot 56% from the field, 45.9% from three-point range and 88.9% from the free throw line. In the four games the Houston Rockets played, Harden scored 30 or more points and handed out at least 10 assists and led the team to a 4-0 mark.

The 27-year-old Houston guard closed the week with back-to-back triple-doubles, including a historic performance in a 129-122 victory against the New York Knicks on Dec. 31, when Harden scored a career-high 53 points, equaled a career best with 17 assists and grabbed a Rockets-season-high 16 rebounds.  Harden became the first player in NBA history to have at least 50 points, 15 assists and 15 rebounds in a game, and he tied Wilt Chamberlain (1968) for the most points in a triple-double.  

Wall averaged 24.3 points (eighth in the East), an NBA-leading 13 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 2.67 steals (second in the East) for the week. The Wizards went 3-0, with all three victories coming at home, where Washington has won eight consecutive games.

After opening the week with 18 points and a season-high 16 assists in a 107-102 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Dec. 26, Wall scored 36 points, had 11 rebounds and nine assists in a 111-105 victory against the Indiana Pacers on Dec. 28.

Other nominees were Boston’s Isaiah Thomas, Denver’s Nikola Jokic, LA Clippers’ DeAndre Jordan, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, New Orleans’ Anthony Davis, Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid, Portland’s C.J. McCollum and Sacramento’s DeMarcus Cousins.