OMNISPORT

James Harden caught fire early and never looked back on Sunday.

The Houston Rockets star scored a career-high 56 points on 19-of-25 shooting (seven of eight from three-point range) while also dishing out 13 assists in a 137-110 win over the Utah Jazz.

Harden matched Russell Westbrook as the only two players to have three games of at least 50 points and 10 assists in the last 30 seasons.

Harden, who played just 35 minutes in the game, reached 54 points before the end of the third quarter in a truly masterclass performance.

He had eclipsed 30 points just once this season entering Sunday's game, but he finished just one point shy of Calvin Murphy's franchise record.

Houston, now winners of three straight, improved to 8-3 thanks to Harden's scoring outburst.