On the third stop of a four-game road trip, the turnover-prone Rockets (22 total) delivered one of their worst performances of the season in Friday’s 107-104 loss (box score) at Toronto. After trailing by as many as 22 points in the third quarter, Houston’s late comeback bid came up just short, just as it did in the previous game at Indiana.
The Raptors (19-33), led by 25 points from Immanuel Quickley, dealt Houston (23-29) its fourth straight road loss.
Cam Whitmore scored 17 points in just over 17 minutes, shooting 5-of-9 overall (55.6%) and 3-of-5 from 3-point range (60.0%). But fittingly, on a night where so many things went wrong for the Rockets, Whitmore left in the second half and couldn’t continue due to a right ankle sprain — which he suffered late in the first half during a controversial no-call sequence that didn’t go Houston’s way.
The Rockets did not immediately offer a timetable for Whitmore’s return, but his availability for Saturday’s game in Atlanta — which takes place less than 24 hours from the injury — is in doubt.
For better or for worse, other notable stat lines included:
- Dillon Brooks: 20 points, 2 blocks, 4 turnovers in 30 minutes; 6-of-13 shooting (46.2%), 4-of-5 on 3-pointers (80.0%)
- Jabari Smith Jr.: 12 points, 11 rebounds in 33 minutes; 5-of-11 shooting (45.5%), 2-of-6 on 3-pointers (33.3%)
- Jalen Green: 7 points, 2 rebounds, 4 turnovers in 22 minutes; 3-of-11 shooting (27.3%), 1-of-5 on 3-pointers (20.0%)
- Alperen Sengun: 7 points, 7 rebounds, 2 turnovers in 21 minutes; 3-of-7 shooting (42.9%)
- Amen Thompson: 8 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 6 turnovers in 31 minutes; 4-of-5 shooting (80.0%)
- Aaron Holiday: 12 points, 5 assists in 30 minutes; 5-of-13 shooting (38.5%), 2-of-8 on 3-pointers (25.0%)
- Jeff Green: 11 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists in 27 minutes; 3-of-11 shooting (27.3%), 1-of-6 on 3-pointers (16.7%), 4-of-5 on free throws (80.0%)
Neither Jalen Green nor Sengun were part of Houston’s closing lineup. Sengun struggled to handle Raptors big man Jakob Poeltl, who had with 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 blocked shots while shooting 7-of-11 from the field (63.6%). It was a dramatic reversal from when Sengun had his way inside during last week’s meeting.
Houston routed Toronto in that Feb. 2 game, but that was at home, where the Rockets are 18-9 this season. They are a staggering 5-19 on the road, and that discrepancy is a big part of why they’ve fallen to No. 12 in the Western Conference standings, with a potential run to the play-in tournament becoming increasingly unlikely.
Another factor in their recent regression is injuries. Fred VanVleet (left adductor strain) and Tari Eason (left lower leg injury management) both remained sidelined, although there is hope that each could return within the next few days. The Rockets are now 0-5 in the 2023-24 season without VanVleet and 11-18 without Eason.
Here’s our look at Friday’s highlights and postgame interviews from Toronto, along with reaction by media members and fans. As the road trip finally concludes, next up for Houston is Saturday’s game at Atlanta (22-29), where tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. Central.
