James Harden's career-best 50 points boost Rockets over Nuggets

The Rockets' James Harden (left) celebrates with Patrick Beverley after hitting a 3-point shot against the Nuggets.

Even the biggest stars of the Houston Rockets' past couldn't outshineJames Harden on Thursday night.

Harden scored a career-high 50 points with 10 rebounds to lead the Rockets to a 118-108 win over the Denver Nuggets on a night when the team celebrated the 20th anniversary of the franchise's back-to-back NBA titles in 1994 and 1995.

Harden got a boost by knowing players such as Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler were watching from the front row.

"That's a special group right there," Harden said. "We're trying to build something special like they did (and) to play a game in front of them was definitely an honor."

It was the ninth time a Rocket has reached 50 points and the first time since Olajuwon had 51 against theCeltics on Jan. 18, 1996.

Harden eclipsed his previous career-best of 46, set in 2013, on a free throw with about a minute remaining. On Houston's next possession, Trevor Ariza found him in the corner and he swished a 3 under heavy pressure, to make it 50.

"It just looked so easy," Ariza said. "It was like he just woke up and walked out there and had 50. That's how easily he scored the basketball."

Harden broke into a huge smile when asked about the 3-pointer that capped his big night.

"Many, my teammates are amazing," he said. "Trevor noticed what was going ... dribbled right at me, I just said: `I'm going to let it fly' and it went in."