Tuesday 26 February 2019 11:21, UK
Houston Rockets star guard James Harden, back in the starting lineup against the visiting Atlanta Hawks on Monday after missing a game due to a neck injury, saw his streak of 30-point games end.
Harden finished with 28 points in Houston's 119-111 win, snapping his run of 32 games with at least 30 points.
He could have attempted a shot in the final seconds to try to stretch the streak, which was the second longest in NBA history behind Wilt Chamberlain's 65-game run in 1961-62, but instead Harden dribbled out the clock.
Earlier Monday, Harden told reporters at the morning shootaround that he was not sure if he would be able to go as he continued to deal with a cervical strain.
"It's my first time touching a basketball in a few days, so we'll see," Harden told reporters.
Harden, who leads the NBA with an average of 36.3 points per game, said he was injured during a practice last Wednesday when he ran into a team-mate.
"I feel better," Harden said. "Every day, it's gotten better. I wasn't able to really move my neck. So it affected me, not in just basketball, but day-to-day life walking around. It's tough to just hold your head up. Even when you sleep, it's kind of a lose-lose situation. Hopefully the pain goes away. I've been getting treatment non-stop."
The Rockets beat the defending champion Golden State Warriors without the reigning NBA MVP on Saturday, winning 118-112 in Oakland.
