:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45697992/463530294.0.jpg)
James Harden played exceptionally in his first career start in the NBA All-Star Game tonight, but didn't win the MVP because Russell Westbrook shot every time he touched it and it's the All-Star Game so pointtzzzzzz.
Seriously, the Beard dropped 29 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 steals in 27 minutes, shooting 11-16 from the field. Russell Westbrook scored 41 points on 28 shots, and the point guard had one assist. We reiterate: James Harden did not win the MVP.
But I digress. Harden was great in a showcase of the NBA's greatest talent. Only Westbrook and LeBron James (21 shots, 30 points) scored more than the Beard, and it should be said that when the 161-156 game got tight at the end, it was Harden and Westbrook who led the West to victory.
There were some insane plays in the game -- notably Westbrook hitting his head on the backboard and LeBron's reverse double-pump alley-oop -- and Harden was involved in two of them. Both of them he finished off ridiculous passes from his MVP-race rival Steph Curry, and they are both tasty highlights.
Harden figures to be playing in ASGs for years to come. He'll have plenty more chances at getting robbed of the MVP