John Wall and James Harden named NBA Players of the week

The Washington Wizards’ John Wall and the Houston Rockets’ James Harden today were named NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, Dec. 26 through Sunday, Jan. 1. Wall led the Wizards to a 3-0 week, with all three victories coming at home, where Washington has won eight consecutive games. He averaged 24.3 points (eighth in the East), an NBA-leading 13.0 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 2.67 steals (second in the East) for the week. 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 recorded 36 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists in a 111-105 victory against the Indiana Pacers on Dec. 28. Harden lifted the Rockets to a 4-0 week by leading the NBA in scoring (37.3 ppg), ranking second in the league in assists (12.5 apg) and finishing tied for eighth in the West in rebounding (9.8 rpg). In addition to shooting 56.0 percent from the field, 45.9 percent from three-point range and 88.9 percent from the free throw line, Harden scored 30 or more points and handed out at least 10 assists in all four games. 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.