Video shows Harden signing a ball for the woman and spending a few moments sitting next to her in her courtside seat and posing for pictures Wednesday night.

Harden told ESPN’s Doris Burke in an interview that he told the woman how ”blessed” he was to be able to have a chance to meet her.

The Houston guard also put on a good show for the fan during the game, scoring 38 points in a 111-92 victory over the Bucks.

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”One hundred percent,” Harden said after finishing with 40 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds in the Rockets’ 129-122 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday night.

”We’re almost halfway through the season and we’re a fairly new team still and I’ll get better and my turnovers will start dropping just when I get familiar with what different defenses are doing but until then, we’re rolling, guys are happy and we’re making shots.”

Harden also had 10 of Houston’s 15 turnovers.

”I’ve got the ball in my hands 90 per cent of the time so it’s going to happen,” he said, adding that as long as the team stays under coach Mike D’Antoni’s limit of 15 turnovers it will be OK.

According to Elias Sports Bureau, Harden is the first player with a 40-point triple-double and 10 or more turnovers since turnovers became official in the 1977-78 season.

Harden shot 13 of 26 from the field, finishing with 30-plus points and 10-plus assists for a league-leading 13th time this season. Montrezl Harrell had 28 points in 26 minutes off the bench on 12-of-13 shooting, with Eric Gordon adding 19 more as Houston won consecutive games in Toronto for the first time in franchise history.

Down 99-95 entering the fourth quarter, the Rockets went on a 15-0 run to take an 11-point lead. DeRozan’s run of 12 consecutive points for the Raptors cut into that advantage, but Toronto could get no closer than five points.

Going on that kind of run is nothing new for the Rockets, who feed off each other, according to Trevor Ariza, who had 17 points.

”Once one shot goes in for someone, another one goes in, it brings up the team’s morale and everybody’s getting open looks, everybody’s knocking down shots, it’s fun to play that way,” he said.

After compiling a 19-0 record when taking a lead into the fourth quarter this season, the Raptors have lost two straight in the last 12 minutes. They ultimately lost in overtime in Chicago on Saturday night, and followed that up with Sunday’s loss, a game where they had a 13-point lead at one stage.

”It just sucks in the moment, especially two night sin a row,” DeMar DeRozan said. ”It happened and you just have to lock in.”

DeRozan had 36 points for the Raptors, setting a career high with his 18th 30-plus-point game of the season. DeMarre Carroll tied a career high with 26 points and set a career high with six 3-pointers on 10 attempts.

The late run by Houston to take the game away from Toronto was particularly galling for coach Dwane Casey, who constantly stresses the importance of a consistent approach to defense throughout the entire game.

”They put their heads down, attacked our feet,” he said. ”There was a stretch where we played good basketball for 39 minutes but it is a 48-minute game and we have to extend that.”

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The Rockets went from making 38 percent of their shots, including just 6 of 38 3-pointers, to a 53.5 field goal percentage and 18 made 3s on 38 attempts. It added up to a 125-111 win over the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday.

James Harden had 27 points and 14 assists as the Rockets earned their 11th victory in 12 games.

”It’s a good bounce-back win, back-to-back, and the guys showed some heart,” Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said.

Eric Gordon added 24 points off the Rockets’ bench, shooting 7 of 13 on 3s. Patrick Beverley finished with a season-high 18 points, nine assists and nine rebounds.

Harden’s biggest shot came with 4:19 left, a pull-up 3 for a 120-100 lead. He bent down and moved his arms in a swimming motion in celebration as he ran back to the bench.

”He just knows when to pick the spots and he knows what he has to do, and he controls the whole game,” D’Antoni said.

Devin Booker’s 28 points led the Suns, who have lost four in a row. T.J. Warren added 19 and Brandon Knight 17.

Gordon hit back-to-back 3s midway through the fourth quarter, the second one at the 6:39 mark for a 110-95 lead.

”It’s tough to really slow us down, knocking the 3s down and also making layups,” Gordon said. ”Teams just have to pick their poison against us.”

The Rockets led by as many as 13 in the third, only to see the Suns cut it to 86-84 on a tip-in by P.J. Tucker with 1:19 left. Harden drew a questionable foul call against Tucker on a 3-point try with 4.3 seconds left and made all three free throws to give Houston a 91-84 lead entering the fourth.

The Rockets led 30-26 after the first quarter, when the Suns struggled to get back in transition. Houston scored 12 fast-break points in the period.

Harden took only two shots in the quarter but excelled as a passer, handing out seven assists.

”Stopping people in transition, it’s mostly on the defense. It’s something we have been working on in practice but in game time we still are not doing,” Booker said. ”Obviously, James being the playmaker, he finds the open man. When they have so many shooters on the floor, it’s tough to guard.”

Gordon hit four 3s in the second quarter, Harden drove for a layup with 0.3 seconds left and Houston took a 61-55 lead into halftime.

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Rockets ended a run of eight straight losses to the Warriors.

Golden State’s lead in the Pacific Division was cut to 1-1/2 games ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers, who won convincingly at reigning champion Cleveland.

Elsewhere, Marc Gasol slotted two late free throws to lift Memphis over Orlando.

Houston’s Harden put the Rockets ahead on a 30-foot shot with 3:12 left in the second overtime and hit a pair of free throws with 2:10 to go following a flagrant foul on Draymond Green.

Eric Gordon followed Harden’s free throws with a floating jumper and scored 23 off the bench.

Golden State’s Stephen Curry fouled out with 3:25 left in the last extra session when he was whistled for a charge. He finished with 28 points.

Ryan Anderson also scored 29 with five 3-pointers and the teams combined to shoot 88 3s, 44 apiece.

Kevin Durant matched his season high with 39 points to go with 13 rebounds while Ryan Anderson had 29 with five 3-pointers as both teams ended the contest with 44 3-pointers.

The Clippers took out their frustrations from a bitter loss at Brooklyn in their previous game and won 113-94 at Cleveland.

J.J. Redick scored 23 points and Blake Griffin matched a career high with 11 assists for Los Angeles, which blew an 18-point lead and lost in double overtime against the Nets on Tuesday.

Los Angeles took control of this one with a 13-2 run to open the third quarter.

Kyrie Irving scored 28, who were outplayed for the second game in a row following a loss at Milwaukee on Tuesday, when coach Tyronn Lue pulled his starters in the second half.

Memphis’ Marc Gasol sank two free throws with 12.2 seconds left to give the Grizzlies a 95-94 victory over Orlando.

That completed a 14-point comeback in the fourth quarter.

Gasol had 25 points and Troy Daniels finished with 19 points for the short-handed Grizzlies, who had only nine players available due to injuries.

Evan Fournier scored 28 points for the Magic.

Miami’s Goran Dragic scored 27 points as the Heat edged Utah 111-110 to continue its peculiar pattern of performing better on the road than at home.

Charlotte maintained its lead in the Southeast Division with a 97-87 win against hapless Dallas, which has lost 10 of 11.

Milwaukee backed up its previous impressive win over Cleveland by taking a 111-93 victory at Brooklyn, breaking clear in the third quarter.

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James Harden had the ball in his hands in transition with the chance to win the game and tie the Western Conference finals at a game apiece.

Harden’s chance at a potential game-winning shot was squandered when Golden State knocked the ball away in the closing seconds of a 99-98 victory in Game 2 on Thursday night that left Harden on the floor with his head in his heads and the Warriors celebrating.

”Kicking chairs. It’s frustrating. Frustrating to give the game away like that for myself,” Harden said. ”Ten out of 10 times we’ll take that play.”

Harden finished with 38 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in another sterling effort. He led the Rockets back from a 17-point deficit in the second quarter and had them in position to win in the closing seconds.

Harden fed gimpy Dwight Howard for an alley-oop that cut the deficit to one point with 33 seconds to go, then came down with the rebound when Harrison Barnes missed a reverse with about 8 seconds left.

With Houston having one timeout remaining, coach Kevin McHale let his star push the ball up court, hoping to catch the Warriors before they could get set on defense.

”I will take our best player coming downhill in a broken court any day of the week to win the game,” McHale said. ”That’s where James feasts, and you know, that’s where he’s at his best.”

The Warriors tried to double-team Harden and he gave the ball away to Howard beyond the 3-point line. Howard got it back to Harden, who was still double-teamed by Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Curry deflected the ball and the clock ran out before Harden could regain possession.

Harden fell to the floor and put his hands over his head as the Warriors celebrated on the court, the sellout crowd roared and golden-yellow confetti fell from the rafters. Harden then slammed a curtain and kicked some chairs on his way off the court in frustration.

”It’s just a little frustrated at that last play, but overall I feel good,” Harden said. ”We’re really confident about what we have going on. We let two slip away, so now we go back to Houston and take care of business at home.”

Game 3 is Saturday in Houston.

Curry, the NBA MVP, scored 33 points to go with six assists and three rebounds.

The Warriors built the lead back to eight when Curry hit a step-back jumper with 1:39 to go. But Golden State only scored one point the rest of the way and needed a defensive stop to seal the win.

”You knew he probably wasn’t going to pass,” Curry said. ”At that point, it’s just don’t let him get a shot off and try to be the hero.”

Howard overcame a sprained left knee that slowed him down to finish with 19 points and 17 rebounds. Terrence Jones added 12 points off the bench, but Houston got little other help as Trevor Ariza, Josh Smith and Jason Terry were held to 26 points on 11-for-32 shooting.

Now the Rockets find themselves in another big hole after rallying from 3-1 down in the second round against the Los Angeles Clippers.

”We’re not going to go anywhere,” McHale said. ”We’re just going to keep standing here and swinging.”

TIP-INS

Rockets: Houston is 0-6 against the Warriors this season. … The Rockets haven’t won at Golden State since Dec. 13, 2013.

Warriors: Golden State is 45-3 at home this season, including 6-1 in the playoffs. … The Warriors are 54-0 when leading by at least 15 points at any point in a game this season.

ROLE REVERSAL

In Game 1, the Rockets built a 16-0 point lead in the second quarter only to have the Warriors end the half on a 25-6 run to take a two-point lead into the break. In Game 2, the roles were reversed. Golden State built the big lead, going up by 17 points, only to be outscored 23-6 over the final 7:30 to end the half tied at 55.

AMONG THE CROWD

Former San Francisco Giants slugger and home run king Barry Bonds shook hands with several Warriors players before the game. … Montell Jordan sang a stirring rendition of the national anthem and performed his 1995 hit song ”This Is How We Do It” at halftime. … Oakland native and rapper MC Hammer and actor Blake Anderson, the star of the TV series ”Workaholics,” also were among the crowd.

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Instead, the Americans were the ones on the ropes for nearly three quarters.

“I guess we felt like last night’s game was pretty easy and tonight was going to be the same way, but Turkey came out and they gave us their punch from the beginning,” forward James Harden said. “We took it and we were sluggish. That second half we played a lot better.”

Kenneth Faried scored 22 points, Anthony Davis all of his 19 in the second half, and the U.S. rebounded from a rare deficit at halftime to beat Turkey 98-77 on Sunday in the Basketball World Cup.

A night after crushing Finland by 59 in its biggest rout ever while using NBA players in the former world championship, the Americans couldn’t take control against Turkey until early in the fourth quarter after compiling a 17-1 run.

“I think we didn’t come ready to play in the first half and we can’t afford to do that if we want to win a gold medal,” Davis said. “So we’ve got to come out ready to play no matter who we’re playing against.”

The Americans trailed 40-35 at halftime and Turkey led by six early in the third before the Americans could finally get the game into the quicker tempo they prefer and pull away to win the rematch of the 2010 gold-medal game in Istanbul.

But it was a much tougher one than expected after the Americans hammered Finland 114-55 while Turkey was being outplayed for most of its opener by New Zealand before pulling out the victory.

Harden added 14 points for the U.S. and Kyrie Irving added 13, playing extended minutes in the second half while struggling Derrick Rose sat.

It was tied at 59 with 3:10 left in the third before the Americans closed the period with a 7-1 burst to lead 66-60 after Faried’s basket. The U.S. then ran off 10 in a row to open the fourth and open a 76-60 cushion.

The Americans haven’t lost since the semifinals of the 2006 world championship and outside of their victories over Spain in the last two Olympic gold-medal games, haven’t been in danger much since then.

But they needed a long time to start looking like the team that is considered the tournament favorite by so many.

“Before the game we talked about we trying to keep the tempo low, in fact slow down the game and we did it very well first half. I think actually three quarters we did it very well,” Turkey’s Ender Arslan said. “But after, physically United States team is great, they played 40 minutes … so we get a little bit tired after third quarter and they still played at the same level.”

The U.S. beat Turkey 81-64 four years ago to win gold, and though the Turks have eight players remaining from that team, they no longer have their best player, Hedo Turkoglu, or fellow NBA veteran Ersan Ilyasova.

Cenk Akyol led Turkey with 12 points.

The Americans had to break from their pregame warmups to retake the official team picture that every team took Saturday before their opening games, because they were still wearing sweats instead of their uniforms.

They soon had bigger problems than a fashion faux pas.

It was 16-all after one, and Turkey controlled the tempo in the second quarter, getting to the foul line as the Americans showed moments of frustration with the pace and some calls that went against them. Baris Hersek and Emir Preldzic made consecutive 3-pointers late in the half to give Turkey a 38-32 lead.

Unable to force the turnovers or missed shots to get their transition game going, the Americans looked ordinary in the halfcourt. Davis, who scored 17 points in the opener and had been the Americans’ best player this summer, was scoreless with one rebound in the half, playing just 10½ minutes while picking up two fouls.

“I tried to come out in the second half and just be a different player, just be the player I’m used to being,” he said.

Rose showed his timing still isn’t back after a nearly two-year absence, missing both shots, turning it over twice and not getting an assist in the first half. He didn’t get back into the game until the U.S. had opened the big fourth-quarter lead.

The Americans are off Monday before continuing pool play Tuesday against winless New Zealand.

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