Last night’s live blog: Top moments from Sunday night
Power Rankings: Thunder back on top
Week 13 Watch Guide
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What we know about Monday night’s games:
The Pacers take on the Celtics (7:30 ET) tonight on Peacock.
James Harden is 15 points behind Shaquille O’Neal for ninth on the all-time scoring list as the Clippers host the Hornets (10:30 ET).
Jaylen Brown is doubtful for the Celtics. Joel Embiid, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard and Brandon Ingram are questionable. Andrew Nembhard is available for the Pacers.
JANUARY 12, 2026 // 6:30 ET
James Harden seeks a new level of scoring greatness
With 15 points tonight, James Harden can pass Shaquille O’Neal (28,596) for ninth on the all-time scoring list, continuing his storied career as one of the game’s great bucket-getters.
Drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder and originally deployed as a sixth man, Harden, an 11-time All-Star and three-time scoring champ, grew into a near-unstoppable force as he reached his peak.
Mike D’Antoni famously credited Harden as “the best offensive player I’ve ever seen,” shifting him to point guard during his tenure with the Rockets, which allowed the Los Angeles native to fully flourish as an offensive weapon.
His silky, tight handle allowed him to navigate anywhere on the floor; he was stronger than most guards and wings and quicker than bigs.
He changed the course of the NBA by developing the stepback three-pointer, always found a way to get to the free throw line and remained a willing, crafty passer, particularly adept at finding the lob threat for an alley-oop dunk.
With the Rockets, Harden became one of the first heliocentric stars of the modern era. Only five players have tallied combined points and assists than he’s put up in his career — LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. Only Jordan played fewer games than Harden.
In the second half of his career, Harden has lost a little of his burst, but remains a dangerous, consistent offensive force, putting up 25.6 points and 7.9 assists per game.
He’s shooting 43/36/89 from the field this season — right in line with his career averages of 44/36/86 — averaging 8.6 FTA, which is his most since he left Houston, and has the eighth-best assist percentage in the league.
Last time out against the Hornets, he dropped 55 points — his season-high, and the 25th 50+ point game of his career.
If you can’t stop him, Harden is going to make it rain. He’s too skilled, too consistent, too seasoned to do otherwise.
The master of the postgame interview is going strong, delighting fans and delivering a unique brand of basketball wizardry. Tonight, he has a chance to raise his name even higher in NBA history and help keep the Clippers, 8-2 in their last 10, on a hot streak.
Jerry Jiang has more for you on Harden’s best moments of the season on NBA.com.
JANUARY 12, 2026 // 6:00 ET
Welcome to a six-game night in the NBA!
We’ve got Pacers-Celtics streaming across the world on Peacock (7:30 ET), as well as James Harden’s chase to climb the all-time scoring list, as we prepare for a six-game night in the Association.
Here’s the complete schedule: