Rockets' James Harden: Swipes five, looks good late

Harden had 23 points (7-11 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 6-6 FT), seven rebounds, five steals, three assists and one block in 40 minutes during Thursday's 119-109 win over the Raptors.

Harden failed to lead his team in points for the first time all season but still turned in a terrific stat line, amassing a season high in steals while providing an efficient scoring performance. He did finish with more turnovers (four) than assists, but overall it was another solid day at the office for the strong MVP candidate, especially considering he shook off an injury (undisclosed) that forced him to briefly exit the tilt at the end of the third quarter.