LDN - Sports

Raptors halt Rockets' six-game win streak

[November 15, 2017] HOUSTON -- The spotlight will always shine brightest on the Raptors standout backcourt of DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry, but when Toronto can capitalize on the depth of scoring it displayed on Tuesday night, the full breath of its offensive potential comes to the forefront.

DeRozan and Lowry combined for 45 points but were just two of six players to reach double figures in the Raptors' 129-113 victory over the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center.

The Raptors (8-5) outflanked the high-scoring Rockets (11-4) and snapped their six-game winning streak in the process. DeRozan, who scored a team-high 27 points, and Lowry, who chipped in 19, were aggressive throughout and finished 22 of 26 from the free-throw line.

They had plenty of support. Reserve swingman C.J. Miles scored 19 points and drilled 6 of 9 3-pointers, with a handful of those shots stifling Rockets runs. Delon Wright added 14 points on 5-of-5 shooting off the Toronto bench, which contributed 50 points on 17-for-29 shooting.

"It's about consistency in this league, and that's a hard thing to grab," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. "That's what we have to reach for and grab each and every night."

Toronto shot 51.9 percent and was 33 of 42 at the line. Houston sliced a 20-point deficit to 108-103 midway through the fourth quarter but followed with three turnovers and four consecutive misses that fueled another Raptors run to a double-digit lead. Houston had 19 turnovers.

"Every possession is crucial just because you spend so much energy trying to come back," Rockets guard James Harden said of the debilitating stretch of miscues. "So, we can't put ourselves in that situation. It happened, and we tried to find a way out of it and move on."

Harden paced Houston with 38 points and 11 assists, finishing 19 of 19 from the charity stripe. Trevor Ariza added 20 points. Eric Gordon scored 12 but missed all seven of his 3-point shots.

What was a strong close to the first quarter for the Raptors offered a glimpse of what was to come in the second. Toronto followed an OG Anunoby trey with a DeRozan three-point play inside the final minute to erase most of the Rockets' eight-point lead, their largest of the game.

Starting with an 11-2 run that secured the lead early in the second quarter, the Raptors initiated an unstoppable offensive roll borne of crisp ball movement and selflessness. Whether by unimpeded forays to the rim or wide-open perimeter shots, the Raptors had their way.

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Rockets guard James Harden (13) dribbles the ball as Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam (43) defends during the second quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

While Houston managed only three field goals prior to the 4:05 mark of the second, Toronto scored in every conceivable manner to stretch its lead to 60-48 before the Rockets responded.

The Raptors produced 11 free throws, six baskets in the paint, two three-point plays and two 3-pointers to build that margin. The Rockets scrambled but couldn't stem the onslaught.

"When you're playing a team like that, that scores a lot of points, you have to be ready to score," Lowry said of the Rockets. "And we did with 129 points."

Toronto made 13 of 18 shots from the floor in the second quarter, including half of its six 3-pointers. Mix in 16-of-20 shooting from the line and the recipe for their 45-point period was complete.

"Give them credit: they hit 3s and they were very quick to the ball, and they outdid us in a lot of things with energy in the first half," Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni said. "We move on to the next one now."

NOTES: Raptors G Norman Powell was sidelined with a right hip pointer sustained Sunday in Boston. Powell logged just seven minutes against the Celtics before exiting. Rookie F OG Anunoby filled in for Powell, made his first start of his career, and posted career highs in points (16) and minutes played (29). ... Rockets C Nene missed a second consecutive game with a right foot sprain. His status for Thursday in Phoenix is questionable. ... After recording 10-plus steals in each of their past three games, the Rockets finished with only four steals -- all in the second half. Houston entered Tuesday ranked fourth in the NBA with 9.21 steals per game.

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