Raptors Outpaced by Rockets' Explosive Offense in High-Scoring Affair
In a high-scoring NBA game at the Toyota Center, the Toronto Raptors fell to the Houston Rockets with a final score of 135-106. The Raptors now stand at 17-31 for the season, while the Rockets improved their record to 23-25.
The Raptors faced an uphill battle from the start, trailing after the first quarter and unable to catch up with the Rockets' relentless scoring. Despite putting up a respectable offensive effort with 106 points, including 56 points in paint and converting half of their two-point attempts, it was not enough to overcome Houston's firepower. The team's efficiency rating stood at 105 compared to Houston's more dominant 162.
Toronto's defense struggled throughout the game as they allowed a staggering 84 points in paint and could not contain Houston’s fast break opportunities which resulted in 22 fast break points for their opponents. The defensive rating for Toronto was an alarming figure of approximately 124 compared to Houston’s more efficient approximate rate of just over 100.
Offensively, Toronto managed an effective field goal percentage of exactly half while shooting from beyond the arc at a rate of about one-third successful attempts. They made fifteen free throws out of twenty attempted, translating into a free throw percentage rounding off at about three-quarters success rate. Bench contributions were notable with thirty bench points scored by Toronto players.
Houston displayed superior ball movement and teamwork as evidenced by their thirty assists – nearly double that of Toronto’s seventeen assists – showcasing better ball distribution among teammates. Furthermore, they capitalized on turnovers effectively scoring thirteen points off turnovers compared to fourteen by Toronto.
The upcoming schedule sees the Raptors heading back on court against Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center on February fourth at seven o'clock PM Eastern Time. Fans can tune into SportsNet internationally or BSOK channel six hundred seventy-five locally for live coverage from Oklahoma City.