Kevin Durant and the Rockets are too big for the Raptors

The Five Rockets may have been retouched, but they’re still there very large size. And he did damage again, this time on the floor of the Raptors where the Texans won by a wide margin (121-139). This second straight win coincides with Josh Okogie’s second start in place of Steven Adams.

Which did not prevent the latter from significantly influencing this part, in which he finished as the best rebounder (12 shots, including 8 offensive ones, in 20 minutes). Rebound control was one of the main themes of the night and it mostly worked in favor of the visitors. A symbol of the big difference between the two teams.

Especially since the usual starting pivot opposite Jakob Poeltl, hampered by his back, was not in uniform. Thrown into Darko Rajakovic’s five, rookie Colin Murray-Boyles didn’t deserve it (13 points), but Toronto didn’t have the weapons to deal with the physical density of their opponent.

The locals, however, had the merit of staying in touch in the first half. Brandon Ingram, who missed his first shot just two minutes into the locker room, had a lot to do with it. The winger continued to punish creating his shots from mid-range. A bit like one of the references on the court, Kevin Durant.

Jabari Smith Jr. confident

In addition to Ingram (29 points), Scotty Barnes (31 points) also showed his skills. Overall, the Canadian starting five showed tremendous skill behind the arc: a total of 18/30. Only after the break (63-70) did the tide definitely turn in favor of the visitors.

Relying on a confident Jabari Smith Jr., the Rockets went a painful 14-2 for the home team (67-84). Like this block by Alperen Sengun in front of RJ Barrett, which allowed Houston to slide in transition and offer an open corner kick to Josh Okogie. With their Barnes-Ingram duo, Toronto responded well with a 10-0 run, but the team wasted time chasing results. While still having just as much difficulty holding the racquet against.

Jabari Smith Jr. achieved his new best mark of the season (25 points), while Alperen Sengun came close to a triple-double (18 points, 9 assists and 8 rebounds). With a 15-point lead at the start of the last quarter (91-105), the guests played until the end without any real worries. Three minutes from the end, Sengun, caught two on the post, dropped a good ball towards the inevitable Kevin Durant, who signed a “dagger” from behind the arc.

WHAT TO REMEMBER

– Total lack of rebounds (22) for the Raptors! And it will be to Statmuse datathis Canadiens match enters the top 30 worst performances in history in terms of rebounds in a match. Scotty Barnes finished as the top rebounder on his team with just 5 catches. The Raptors grabbed just 22 rebounds overall, more than half as many as the opposing team (53). Another monstrous difference, which clearly illustrates the size deficit, is that of the points scored in the racket: +30 in favor of the Texans (66-36).

– Rockets still like to run. The sentiments of the Texans do not prevent them from wanting to counterattack. This match is proof, because in this context they scored 27 points, that is, 20 more than the opponent. For example, we saw Alperen Sengun complete a few plays of this type in the third quarter, most notably a big left-handed dunk, even though he was posing as a “trailer.”

– Texas sacrifices Canada. This is the fourth straight loss for the Raptors, including the third against a Texas franchise. The Mavs won by 10 points (139-129), then the Spurs by 18 (121-103), before this second big 18-point win for the Rockets over the Raptors.

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