Anunoby, VanVleet combine for 59 points to lead Raptors past Rockets

Fred VanVleet would love to see O.G. Anunoby when he is indignant.

The two mixed for 59 points to drag the lethargic Toronto Raptors to a 116-109 victory over the lowly Houston Rockets on Wednesday.

VanVleet had seven three-pointers en route to 32 points, whereas Anunoby scored 27 and grabbed 10 rebounds, and afterwards VanVleet applauded his teammate’s aggression.

“To see him take it private on defence, he might in all probability steal the ball each time he feels prefer it, however he is making the proper reads on rotations, he is making performs on lobs and blocked photographs so it simply appears nice. It appears like he is the defensive participant of the 12 months thus far.”

The Raptors (7-5) bought 14 points from newcomer Otto Porter Jr., whereas Scottie Barnes chipped in with 13, and Gary Trent Jr. completed with 11.

Jalen Green scored 21 to prime the Rockets (2-10), who had seven gamers rating in double figures.

The Raptors performed like they had been anticipating a light-weight evening towards the league’s worst group. They had been unsuitable.

WATCH | VanVleet, Anunoby assist Raptors beat Rockets: 

They trailed by 12 early on, earlier than coming to life in a second quarter punctuated by a collection of Anunoby dunks. On one, the Raptors ahead bulldozed by means of three Rockets to the ring for an enormous slam that had the Scotiabank Centre crowd screaming.

“He appears nice. He appears like a man who has become an each possession man,” VanVleet stated. “The extra he will get in form, and never by way of his physique, or cardio or something, however simply the desire and the determinedness to do it play after play after play and never take performs off, it takes so much and we’re seeing him do it this 12 months for us.”

VanVleet scored on a 28-footer, and threw a look on the Rockets bench because the ball fell, to give Toronto a 12-point benefit halfway by means of the third. But that had dwindled to simply 86-82 to begin the fourth.

“It’s at all times exhausting to win on this on this league, at all times, any evening, anyplace regardless of who you are taking part in,” coach Nick Nurse stated. “We had fairly just a few guys that did not had their possibilities and did not take advantage of them, to illustrate.”

The Rockets hung round within the fourth earlier than back-to-back threes from Porter gave Toronto seven points of respiration room with 5:07 to play.

Anunoby’s alley-oop dunk from Thad Young made it a nine-point distinction, after which Barnes’ put-back jam with 1:38 to play, for an eight-point lead, was sufficient to safe the win.

“VanVleet got here by means of for them and made some large performs,” stated Rockets coach Stephen Silas.

Indigenous Heritage Night

Siakam, in the meantime, is anticipated to be out a minimum of two weeks with a strained adductor muscle.

The Raptors seemed disinterested on defence within the first quarter, permitting the Rockets to shoot 70 per cent and take an 11-point lead late within the body. Houston led 37-29 to begin the second.

The Rockets stretched their lead to 12 early within the second quarter, however the Raptors lastly mustered some power, closing the half with 28-13 run to take a 57-54 benefit into the break.

“He simply wants to play higher, man,” Nurse stated. “I’m at all times speaking about taking part in exhausting on D and never executing. And he is simply having an excessive amount of inconsistency. Some nights he is unbelievable, he is into the sport and doing all of it. Some nights he isn’t doing very a lot of it.”

Nurse summed up his recreation Wednesday as “not excellent.”

As a part of the Raptors, first-ever Indigenous Heritage Night, the anthems had been carried out by Shawnee Kish, a Mohawk singer-songwriter and spouse of retired Canadian rugby star Jen Kish, and Snotty Nose Rez Kids, rappers from Kitimat, B.C., carried out at halftime.

The Raptors depart for three video games on the highway, starting Friday at Oklahoma City. They play in Indiana on Saturday and (*59*) on Monday earlier than returning dwelling to host Kyle Lowry and the Miami Heat on Nov. 16.