MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — James Harden moved into 10th place on the NBA’s career scoring list Saturday, passing Carmelo Anthony during the Los Angeles Clippers’ loss to Minnesota.
Harden was 20 points behind Anthony’s 28,289 career points entering the game. Harden hit a pair of free throws in the third quarter to move ahead of the Hall of Famer.
“Blessing. A testament to the work I’ve put in,” Harden said. “It’s an honor, especially with somebody like Melo who’s done so much greatness for this league.”
Harden finished with 34 points on 10-for-18 shooting, but missed a tying 3-point attempt at the buzzer as the Clippers lost 109-106 after leading by 18 in the first half.
The 17-year veteran is averaging 26.5 points this season, his highest average since he led the league with 34.3 per game for the Houston Rockets in the 2019-20 season.
Next on the list ahead of Harden is Shaquille O’Neal, who scored 28,596 points during his Hall of Fame career.
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