James Harden scores 54, outdueled by Wizards guards in Rockets loss

James Harden joined the increasingly common pantheon of 50-point scorers in the NBA on Monday.

But his effort came in vain as his Houston Rockets fell in overtime to the Washington Wizards, 135-131.

Wall, Beal better Harden on his big scoring night

Harden scored 54 on the night, while his backcourt mate Eric Gordon chipped in 36. But Bradley Beal and John Wall put on a backcourt show of their own in the win in front of their home crowd.

Wall led the way for Washington with 36 points and 11 assists while Beal added 32 points and four assists as the Wizards dominated the overtime session.

Harden is NBA’s seventh 50-point scorer this season

Harden is the seventh player to score 50 this season, joining a star-studded list that includes Kemba Walker, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Blake Griffin and Derrick Rose. It marks his fifth straight season with a 50-point game.

His 50th point came in the most James Harden of fashion — a step-back 3-pointer while drawing a foul.

Not all good for Harden in box score

But Harden struggled down the stretch as Houston and Washington traded blows in a tightly contested game. He launched an airball with a minute left in regulation and turned the ball over twice in the final 60 seconds of the fourth quarter.

He logged a triple-double the wrong way, posting 13 assists and 11 turnovers along with eight rebounds.

He also missed a free throw in overtime that kept the Wizards’ lead at 129-126 with 2:42 remaining. Houston would not get closer than three points for the remainder of the game.

Rockets reeling

The loss was the third straight for the struggling Rockets, who were playing without Chris Paul and dropped their third straight game to fall to 9-10 on the season.

The Wizards have now won three out of four games to improve to 8-12 as they look to turn the season around from a terrible start filled with internal turmoil.

More from Yahoo Sports:
• Report: QB Smith’s career may be over after broken leg
• NFL’s worst rule rears its ugly head in Steelers game
• Rookie QB has no time for former coach after win
• NFL Winners and Losers: Browns actually look pretty good