Happy Harden lights Rockets' red glare

HOUSTON - Ask James Harden about how happy he is running coach Mike D'Antoni's offense and a smile spreads across his face before the sentence is finished.

Harden has shaken off the disappointment of last season to thrive under D'Antoni and become a leading candidate for league MVP. His performance has the Houston Rockets thinking this could be the year they contend for a title.

The Rockets are third in the Western Conference with less than a month left in the regular season and on the cusp of securing their fifth straight playoff berth.