Harden records 16th triple-double, outduels LeBron, Kyrie, and Cavs

James Harden logged his 16th triple-double of the season Sunday, posting 38 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists in the Houston Rockets' 117-112 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The win reduced Houston's magic number to one to clinch the franchise's fifth straight playoff appearance.

Harden's performance was enough to offset big nights from LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, who combined for 58 points and 13 assists. Harden even showed off his defensive chops on Irving, stuffing a spinning jumper in the second half.

The Rockets are now 13-3 in games when Harden records a triple-double this season, and the humid air of Houston seems to be helping them out too: Visiting teams are 2-9 there on zero days' rest.

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Though defeating the Rockets was a tough ask for the Cavs on the second half of a back-to-back following Saturday's win over the lowly Orlando Magic, Cleveland is struggling mightily regardless.

Given the Rockets' run-and-gun style, the Cavs wouldn't be expected to show clear defensive improvement at the Toyota Center, but the problem persists: The Cavs are a bottom-10 team in defensive rating, and have actually allowed the most points per 100 possessions in the NBA since Feb. 1.

While conventional wisdom indicates James and Co. will switch it on in time for the postseason, they're currently trying to become the first team outside the top 10 in defensive rating to win an NBA title since the 2000-01 Los Angeles Lakers, according to ESPN's Marc Stein.