Though Fred VanVleet might not have been the most effective in his first game playing against his former team, he would get the last laugh as the Houston Rockets took down the Toronto Raptors 114-110 at Scotiabank Arena on Sunday.
Toronto’s seventh straight loss dropped the team to 7-22, the third-worst record in the NBA. It was another close loss for Canada’s team, as 13 of their 22 losses have come by seven points or less, including five losses by that mark throughout this losing streak. After leading by 16 at one point in this one, the Raptors had a double-digit lead in three of the last four games and have lost all of them.
It didn’t initially seem like it would come down to the wire, as Toronto had a great first quarter. After an early Darko Rajakovic timeout not even two minutes into the game, the Raptors would double up the Rockets, outscoring them 32-16 the rest of the way. The initial lead was also thanks to rookie Ja’Kobe Walter, who scored the team’s first 14 points of the contest en route to a career night.
Despite fouling out, the 20-year-old put up a career-high 27 points, three assists, and two rebounds while cashing in six times from deep throughout his career night. It’s the most points by a Raps rook since Scottie Barnes in 2022.
Walter wasn’t the only rookie to have a career night, as Jamal Shead was great in his own right. The 22-year-old finished with a career-high 10 assists to go along with 11 points, six rebounds, two steals, and a block. Shead was a part of a big-time bench effort, as he, Jamison Battle, Kelly Olynyk, and Chris Boucher combined for 45 points off of the pine.
The latter in Boucher provided the biggest spark, finishing with 15 points, four assists, one rebound, and one steal. It marked the 128th game of 10 or more points off the bench for Boucher, the most in Raptors history.
Battle was a rookie performer and bench performer, scoring 11 points, four rebounds, and going 3-for-5 from distance. Between Walter, Shead, Battle, and Jonathan Mogbo (three points), the young guns combined for 52 of the Raptors’ 110 points.
The Raptors needed those contributions, as it wasn’t Scottie Barnes’ night. In his second game back from an ankle sprain, the 23-year-old only mustered six points on 2-for-15 shooting from the field and 0-for-8 shooting from beyond the arc. The former all-star also added 10 rebounds, four assists, and three steals.
For Houston, all eyes were on VanVleet, who was playing in his first game against the Raptors. It was a rough night for the guard, who only managed two points on 1-for-10 shooting, eight rebounds, five assists, and two steals.
The real stars were former second-overall pick Jalen Green and Canadian Dillon Brooks. Green would end the night with 22 points, seven rebounds, and two assists, as his athleticism gave Toronto fits all night.
Mississauga, Ontario, native Brooks was also very effective back in his home country. The 28-year-old put up a game-high 27 points, six rebounds, two assists, and three steals while playing his usual brand of physical, get under your skin defence.
Alperen Sengun was another standout for the Rockets as he did everything during his double-double performance, contributing 17 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, three steals, and two blocks.
It’s the second seven-game losing streak of the year already for Toronto, as their 13 turnovers in the second half, including a crucial one with 15 seconds left in the fourth quarter, would ultimately be their undoing.
After playing one of the association’s best defences last night, it won’t get any easier for Toronto as they’ll take on one of the league’s best offences in the New York Knicks tonight.
It continues to be rough even after the Knicks, with the Memphis Grizzlies, Atlanta Hawks, and defending champions Boston Celtics all on the docket for Toronto in the next week.
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