James Harden stated that he was the front-runner to win another MVP award following a 45-point performance in a 127-113 win over the Boston Celtics. 

"Of course I should be in that [MVP] conversation...I receive a lot of hate, but it won't stop me from going out there and killing every single night, being that dog that I am. You can name a few other people that should be in the conversation. But realistically? It's coming back," said Harden.

Harden is averaging 39.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 8.2 assists over his last nine games while upping his scoring average to a now career-high 32.7 points per game. The 388 points scored over his last 10 games is the highest for any 10-game stretch since Kobe Bryant in 2007.