RJ Barrett Scores 25, But Raptors Fall vs. Rockets

The Toronto Raptors are coming up short against the Houston Rockets by a score of 113-99 inside the Toyota Center.

While the Raptors were neck and neck with the Rockets in the first quarter, Houston pulled away in the second and held the lead for the remainder of the game. The Raptors cut things close in the late third quarter, pulling within three points, but the Rockets went on a run early in the fourth and pushed the game out of reach.

Raptors Can't Get Win vs. Rockets

Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes drives with the ball as Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. defends. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

RJ Barrett was the Raptors' leading scorer with 25 points. Scottie Barnes was right behind Barrett with 24 of his own on 8 of 16 shooting, while Immanuel quickly joined them in double figures with 12 points. Brandon Ingram struggled on the night with just 9 points on 3 of 12 shooting.

The Raptors played short against the Rockets as Collin Murray-Boyles, Jakob Poeltl, and Trayce Jackson-Davis were out on the injury report. Murray-Boyles was dealing with a thumb sprain, and Jackson-Davis has a dislocated finger. Poeltl missed the game due to an illness.

The Rockets were led by future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant, who had 29 points on 12-16 shooting. Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr. had 23 points apiece, while Alperen Sengun had a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds.

What's Next For Raptors?

The Raptors once again find themselves on the losing end of a game against a team with a better record than them. This is definitely concerning as the Miami Heat won their sixth straight game behind Bam Adebayo's historic 83-point performance. The Raptors are ahead of them in the standings on a technicality because they have played two fewer games than the Heat, but they are both 10 games back of the first-place Detroit Pistons.

If the Raptors aren't careful, they will be passed in the standings by some of these rising Eastern Conference teams that are catching their rhythm at the right time, so they need to get some wins under their belt.

The Raptors will now head to the Big Easy to take on the New Orleans Pelicans. Tip-off is scheduled for tomorrow at 8 PM ET inside the Smoothie King Center. Fans can watch the game on TSN Sports or stream it on NBA League Pass.

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