Raptors' Houston hex ends
HOUSTON -- Behind a third-quarter eruption from DeMar DeRozan and a swarming defense that reversed a recent trend of ineffectiveness, the Toronto Raptors rolled to a 115-102 win over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night at Toyota Center.
DeRozan scored a team-high 24 points, including 21 in the third quarter, to help the Raptors (9-6) snap a nine-game losing skid in Houston. True to form, DeRozan scored in a variety of ways inside the arc but also broke script with a pair of corner 3-pointers to keep the Raptors rolling whenever the Rockets feigned a rally attempt.
Houston (9-6) sliced what was a 20-point deficit to seven points late in the fourth quarter, but Raptors forward DeMarre Carroll (20 points on 9-for-14 shooting) followed a corner 3-pointer with a transition dunk to stifle that rally. The Raptors scored 33 points off 28 Houston turnovers, including 19 in transition.
Toronto gave the ball away 16 times, leading to 12 points.
Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas finished with 15 points and 16 rebounds, while guard Kyle Lowry added 17 points and nine assists. Reserve guard Cory Joseph added 17 points off the bench, nailing all three of his 3-point attempts. The Raptors finished 12 of 23 from behind the arc.
All five starters reached double figures for Houston, paced by guard James Harden, who paired 29 points with 15 assists. However, Harden also had a season-high 12 turnovers.
The Rockets' miserable shooting was due in part to the Raptors' commitment defensively and Houston's inability to convert open looks. Houston finished 0 of 8 from behind the arc in the first quarter, and while Harden converted a driving layup at the buzzer to cut the deficit to 24-20 entering the second, the Rockets' shooting woes continued deep into the second quarter and fueled the Toronto advantage.
The Rockets didn't make much progress from the perimeter by the intermission, and Toronto worked hard to press the arc while scrambling to fill in on penetration. Valanciunas had a double-double (11 points, 12 rebounds) by the break, while Terrence Ross chipped in 10 points off the bench as Toronto led 54-39 at the half.
The Rockets shot just 39.5 percent in the first half, including 3 of 20 in 3-pointers. Both teams wound up shooting 49 percent from the floor for the game.
NOTES: Rockets C Clint Capela appears to have turned a corner with his conditioning, logging at least 30 minutes for a third consecutive game. Prior to last Saturday, Capela had not eclipsed 27 minutes in a game this season. He had 12 points, six rebounds and five blocks Wednesday. ... The Raptors' focus remains on the defensive end of the court, where they entered Wednesday ranked 24th in defensive rating allowing 109.2 points per 100 possessions. Of specific concern is their transition defense, particularly against an up tempo offense like that of the Rockets. ... The Rockets recalled rookies Kyle Wiltjer and Chinanu Onuaku from NBA D-league partner Rio Grande Valley. Both players appeared in all five games with the Vipers, with Onuaku averaging 12.2 points and 13 rebounds while Wiltjer averaged 21 points.