James Harden playing through hamstring strain Monday

The 18 points and 14 assists James Harden put up on Saturday already suggested a strained left hamstring couldn't slow him down.

That's been confirmed, as Harden will suit up Monday when the Houston Rockets take on the Portland Trail Blazers. His status never seemed much in question, as he had been listed probable on the weekend.

That's obviously bad news for the Blazers, who will be looking to make a statement about their position in the Western Conference hierarchy. But hey, what statement does it make if you beat a fellow contender without their stars anyway, right?

Harden has the Rockets sitting pretty despite a tough start for the team on the injury front. He's averaging a league-high 26.3 points with 6.3 rebounds and seven assists, putting himself firmly in the discussion as one of the league's most valuable players so far. Unguardable on one end and once again engaged on the other, Harden has made the Rockets 17.2 points per-100 possessions better.

The last time Harden took on the Blazers, he watched as Damian Lillard ended the Rockets' playoff run in the first round with a buzzer-beating game-winner.