Austin Rivers accidentally costs Harden a 40-point triple-double

Rivers offered a lighthearted apology after mistakenly grabbing the game’s final rebound, which otherwise would have gone to Harden.

All-Star guard James Harden had a big night with 40 points and 12 assists in Tuesday’s convincing win (box score) by the Houston Rockets over visiting Charlotte, but he came up one rebound short in a late bid to add to his historic total of 40-point triple doubles.

For his career, the NBA’s current scoring leader has 15 triple-doubles with 40 or more points, trailing only Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson (22) in league history. With nine rebounds entering the closing seconds of Tuesday’s game, Harden sprinted after a missed shot by the Hornets in hopes of adding another triple-double to the list.

But reserve guard Austin Rivers didn’t move out of the way and secured the rebound instead, preventing Harden from grabbing the loose ball. When Rivers realized the statistical significance, he clearly felt bad and offered a lighthearted apology on the court, which Harden accepted.

All’s well that ends well.

With regards to what matters most, the Rockets (32-18) have now won six of their last eight games, and Harden has clearly turned things around after his recent slump. For his part, Rivers contributed well off the bench in Tuesday’s victory, posting a line of 11 points (50% shooting), four rebounds, and three assists in 29 minutes.

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