Rockets Head North for Final Battle with Raptors
Border Skirmish. Steady Without Freddy. Must-Win?
The Rockets and Raptors meet for the second time in eight days on Friday night as Houston continues their road-trip in Toronto. Since losing to the Rockets last Friday, the Raptors have gone 1-2, with a victory over the lowly Hornets in their previous game, before losses to the Pelicans and Thunder. Houston, meanwhile, has gone 0-2, starting this road trip with losses to the Timberwolves and the Pacers. The squad will look to get back on track against a Raptors team that was active before the February 8th trade deadline. Toronto dealt point guard Dennis Schroder to the Nets, and after waiving Brooklyn’s Spencer Dinwiddie, are reportedly receiving Utah’s Kelly Olynyk. Regardless, the Dinos are in full-rebuild mode, and this Rockets team is desperate to improve their performance on the road. Houston won the first matchup last Friday in a 135-106 beatdown at Toyota Center.
One major key factor has changed since the Rockets last victory, their previous win over Toronto. Ex-Raptor Fred VanVleet suffered an injury in Minnesota, and didn’t play against Indiana. He won’t be available to face his former team on Friday night, as the Rockets will be without their starting point guard for an unspecified amount of time. They performed better than expected without FVV in Indy, they just fell apart in the third quarter and the clutch. Had a healthy VanVleet been on the court, Houston would’ve likely won that game. For now, the Rockets will have to wade the waters the best they can without their floor leader.
Even with FVV on the sidelines, Houston should still beat this Toronto squad tonight. The Rockets came up just short in Indiana, showing improved effort compared to their dismal performance to start the road trip in Minnesota. Tonight’s matchup is by far the easiest on this four-game trip for Houston. It’s not a must-win game tonight, but the result will reveal a lot about this Rockets team, and their future this season. The squad is currently 23-27, good for 12th place in the West. Houston is 1.5 games behind Golden State and Utah for the final Play-In spot. The squad is 50 games into the season, and every one of these last 32 games count if the Rockets want a chance to sneak into the playoffs.
Scotiabank Arena: Toronto, Canada
Jersey Colors:
Houston Rockets (23-26): White
Toronto Raptors (17-33): Black
Tip-Off: 6:30 PM CT
TV: Space City Home Network, NBA League Pass