Rockets Aim for Third Straight Win, Raptors Visit Town
Transitional Nightmare. Taming the Backcourt. Extra Effort.
Houston hosts the Toronto Raptors on Friday night, as the Rockets aim to win three games in a row for the first time all season. Toronto is in the midst of a seven-game road-trip. This is stop number six for the Raptors, who come into tonight’s matchup with a record of 23-30. They’re right outside the playoff picture in the East, and should likely sneak into the playoffs by the Spring. O.G. Anunoby, one of their best players, has been out with a wrist injury, and will miss tonight’s matchup. Toronto still has plenty of players who can do damage on the court. Fred VanVleet is a former All-Star, Gary Trent Jr. is lethal, Scottie Barnes is the reigning Rookie-of-the-Year, and their best player, Pascal Siakam, was announced to the All-Star game as a reserve yesterday. The Rockets have plenty of problems to solve on the oppositions side tonight.
Houston is still without Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr., both out with injuries. Can the Rockets tame the lethal backcourt of VanVleet and Trent Jr.? They’ll need to contain them comparable to how they put the defensive clamps on SGA in their previous win. Regardless, for a team that rarely wins two games in a row, three consecutive victories is asking a lot from this Rockets team. They’re going to need another big night from Tari Eason, who enters tonight’s contest riding three-straight double-doubles.
The biggest problem tonight for Houston will be on transition. All of the Rockets weakness’ play into Toronto’s strengths. Houston turns the ball over more than any team in the league, while the Raptors take care of the ball better than anyone in the NBA. They also feast off opponents’ turnovers. If the Rockets run into transitional trouble, they won’t have much of a chance to upset the Dinos tonight. However, victory isn’t out of the picture. If Houston continues to play with this blue-collar, hard-nosed manned they’ve displayed over their last couple games, they have a chance to upset Toronto, and make it three straight wins. The Raptors are a better team than the Thunder, Houston’s previous opponent. Regardless, expect tonight to be another close battle at Toyota Center.
Toyota Center: Houston, Texas
Jersey Colors:
Toronto Raptors (23-30): Red
Houston Rockets (13-38): Blue “City Edition”
Tip-Off: 7:00 PM CT
TV: AT&T Sportsnet SW, NBA League Pass