Guan-Down Dragons: Rockets Tame Raptors, 114-110, to Start Road Trip
Hometown Villain. Candid Cam. Magic Tate Ball.
In his return to his homeland, Dillon Brooks led the Rockets with 27 points, as Houston beat the Raptors, 114-110, on Sunday night. The victory is the Rockets’ first win in Toronto in five years. After scoring 26 points in the Houston’s previous win over the Pelicans, the Villain poured in 27 more in his home country, further proving that Brooks is more than just a defensive specialist. Brooks also shot an impressive 13-for-14 from the charity stripe. Dillon “The Villain” grew up roughly an hour from Toronto, and he was a Raptors fan as a kid.
The Rockets faced an early 16-point deficit early, and trailed by eleven points after the first quarter. However, they still managed to claw back within six points at halftime, and eventually rallied for the win. Cam Whitmore had his best game of the season by far. In his 14 minutes of action, Whitmore scored 11 points and grabbed 4 rebounds. This was his first time playing rotational minutes all season, and Slam Whitmore didn’t disappoint. His play ignited a Houston team that struggled to maintain focus and energy early in the contest. After tonight’s performance, Whitmore should never see the G-League again.
Jae’Sean Tate also had his best performance of the season. He scored 7 points, grabbed 2 boards, and had 2 steals along with stellar defensive play. Tate is currently the longest-tenured player on this team, and he makes winning plays, regardless of how often he sees playing time. Number 8 defines Houston’s Stay Ready Crew, and Tate inspires his teammates to play harder, a la Tari Eason. Tate is the unfortunate victim of playing for a team that has extreme depth at the wing position. It’s why Tate rarely plays rotational minutes any more. The veteran is skilled and plays hard enough to earn a spot on another team’s rotation. The Rockets are lucky they still have this Magic 8 Ball up their sleeve whenever they need him.
Fred VanVleet struggled mightily, scoring two points on only 1-10 shooting against his former team. Jabari Smith Jr. quietly had another solid game. Bari scored 15 points, to go along with 9 rebounds and 4 blocks. Jalen Green scored 22 points on 9-for 20 shooting, and grabbed 7 boards. And Alperen Sengun registered 17 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks in the win.
Up next for Houston, the Rockets travel to Charlotte on Monday night for the second half of a back-to-back. Houston is seeking revenge against the Hornets, as they dealt the Rockets a loss on Opening Night at Toyota Center. This Houston team is a much improved squad since the first game of the season, and the Rockets should be motivated to earn another win on this holiday road trip on Monday night.