Raptors at Rockets
The Toronto Raptors have clinched their third straight playoff berth, while the Houston Rockets are looking more and more like a team that will miss out on the postseason for the first time since 2012. The Raptors continue a three-game road trip Friday with a visit to the sinking Rockets, who are coming off perhaps their worst loss of the season.
In a matchup at home with its closest competitor for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, Houston led Utah by 15 points at the break before falling 89-87. The setback, the Rockets' third straight and fifth in seven games, dropped them a half-game behind the Jazz and the Dallas Mavericks in what could be be a three-team race down the stretch for two playoff spots. While the Raptors did not fare much better in falling 91-79 at Boston, they did clinch the playoff spot by virtue of a loss by Chicago, which didn't matter much to coach Dwane Casey. "The beat us, they spanked us." he told reporters following his team's second-worst offensive showing of the season, which dropped it 2 1/2 games behind East-leading Cleveland.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, ROOT (Houston), TSN 4 (Toronto)
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (48-22): One reason for the lackluster effort at Boston was the absence of star point guard Kyle Lowry, who rested his sore right elbow, an injury that is not considered serious. Cory Joseph got the start in place of Lowry but was 4-of-16 from the floor, part of a 34.8 percent effort by the Raptors. Toronto may be looking for a little bit of payback after blowing a 15-point second-half lead at home in a 113-107 loss to Houston earlier this month.
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (35-37): James Harden flirted with the rare quadruple-double against Utah by finishing with 26 points, 10 assists, eight steals and seven rebounds. The rest of the starters combined for 31 points on 12-of-31 shooting as Houston produced its lowest offensive output since before the All-Star break. Harden keyed the comeback in Toronto on March 6 with 12 of his 40 points in the fourth quarter, and he is averaging 24.3 points in 11 career meetings.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Houston has defeated Toronto eight straight times at home.
2. Raptors SG DeMar DeRozan is shooting 37.5 percent in four games since being rested March 15 at Milwaukee.
3. Harden had 14 assists against one turnover in the earlier win over the Raptors.