Rockets-Raptors Preview

By NOEY KUPCHAN
Posted Dec 15 2012 5:44PM

After getting back to .500, the Houston Rockets are hoping to bring a more consistent effort going forward.

So, too, are the Toronto Raptors, who are coming off their first win in December.

Seeking a season best-tying third consecutive victory, Houston - mired in its longest road losing streak in 11 seasons - tries to avoid a ninth defeat in 10 games at Toronto on Sunday.

Two nights after pulling out a 99-93 victory over Washington, the Rockets (11-11) beat Boston 101-89 on Friday to split a four-game homestand. James Harden shot 6 of 17 but finished with a game-high 21 points while Greg Smith scored 20 off the bench for Houston, which outscored the Celtics by 14 in the second half.

"We have stages where we show pretty good signs of a very good team and then we have signs where we show our youth," said Harden, averaging 30.0 points over his last four games. "We just gotta continue to stick with it for all four quarters. ... The more we play as a team and build our chemistry up, the harder it's gonna be to guard us."

Houston now looks for its momentum to carry over on the road, where it's allowed an average of 111.2 points during a six-game skid - its longest since losing eight in a row in 2001.

The Rockets have had a rough go at it in Toronto (5-19), dropping five straight there by an average of 15.0 points. Things, though, could be different this time around thanks to Harden and Jeremy Lin.

The duo combined for 40 points and 22 assists as Houston cruised to a 117-101 home win over the Raptors on Nov. 27, overcoming 21 points from Andrea Bargnani and holding former point guard Kyle Lowry in check.

While Bargnani (right elbow) and Lowry (right shoulder) both remain sidelined, Toronto snapped a season worst-tying six-game slide Friday, routing Dallas 95-74. Linas Kleiza returned from a two-game absence due to a sore right knee to post 20 points for the Raptors, who had 26 points off 17 turnovers and limited the Mavericks to 39.1 percent shooting.

"Our guys did a good job as a whole," said coach Dwane Casey, whose team entered Friday having dropped 12 of 13. "We have spent the last couple of days getting back to basics. That's the only thing you can do when you are knocked down.

"Everyone that steps on that floor has to be defensive minded. The defensive effort has to be consistent if you want to stay on the floor."

After giving up 94.0 points per game in 2011-12 to rank ninth in the NBA, Toronto is yielding 101.4 this season - one of the league's worst marks

"We're here to win, to lose it got old," Kleiza said. "We've got to put more effort into it. To get back to fundamentals, our defense was great last year. We've kind of got to go back to that."

In addition to trying to slow down Harden and Lin, the Raptors, who haven't put together back-to-back wins since April, could have their hands full with Smith.

The second-year center is starting to see consistent minutes and has scored in double figures three times in seven games this month - including two 20-point efforts.

"Unbelievable, in big games he steps up," Harden said of Smith. "He's learning. ... the more playing time he gets, he's gonna get better."

Houston is 5-0 when Smith scores at least eight points.

Calderon's triple-double helps Raptors top Rockets

Posted Dec 16 2012 6:11PM

TORONTO (AP) Add tight defense to a triple-double, and it was quite a game for Jose Calderon.

Calderon had 18 points, 14 assists, and 10 rebounds to lead short-handed Toronto over the Houston Rockets 103-96 Sunday, giving the Raptors consecutive wins for the first time in eight long months.

Calderon started for the third straight game in place of the injured Kyle Lowry, who has a tear in his right triceps.

The 31-year-old Spanish guard, who's the longest serving Raptor, has been a perennial backup in Toronto.

"I made up my mind, I want to be the most professional player in the NBA. I don't know if I'm going to be on the court or not but I want this team to win," he said.

"This is my team, this is what I've been doing for eight years now, and that's what I do. I know my teammates know that, there's the trust behind it, it's really comfortable to play with these guys," he said.

Calderon also held Rockets guard Jeremy Lin to just seven points and two assists.

"Huge," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said of Calderon's game. "He's a solid pro. I love him, he's going to win a lot of basketball games for you. Defensively, he did a solid job on Lin. I just can't say enough about Jose."

The Rockets have now lost seven straight on the road, a stretch that goes back to Nov. 2. It's their worst road losing streak since they dropped eight straight in 2001.

"It was a disappointing one," Lin said. "We obviously didn't get the win and I don't think we played particularly well. Not the best feeling."

Lin had plenty of fans in the Air Canada Centre crowd cheering him on. He was in the midst of "Linsanity" on a previous trip to Toronto last February, draining a 3 at the buzzer to lead the New York Knicks to a victory over the Raptors.

The Raptors played their third consecutive game without second- and third-leading scorers Andrea Bargnani and Lowry. Bargnani is out indefinitely with a torn ligament in his right elbow and a strained right wrist, while Lowry has a tear in his right triceps.

Alan Anderson had 24 points, while DeMar DeRozan added 19 points for the Raptors, who hadn't won consecutive games since April 13 and 15 of last season.

Ed Davis added 13 points for Toronto.

James Harden scored 28 points for the Rockets, while Marcus Morris added 19.

The Raptors took a 77-71 lead into the fourth quarter, and stretched their advantage to nine points. But Houston made for some tense moments late in the game, cutting Toronto's lead to four points with a couple of minutes to go.

Carlos Delfino made two baskets in the final 1:04 against his former team to pull the Rockets to within two points, but Calderon sunk two free throws to put Toronto back up by four.

The teams traded free throws for most of the final minute. Harden, last season's Sixth Man award winner for Oklahoma City, drained a pair, Anderson went to the line to sink two, and then Chandler Parsons missed one of two with 13 seconds left.

Anderson scored on a driving reverse layup with 11 seconds to go to seal the victory for Toronto.

NOTES: The Rockets beat Toronto 117-101 last month. . . The Rockets wore a green stripe on their jerseys in memory of coach Kevin McHale's daughter Sasha, who died last month of lupus at the age of 23. Green was her favorite color. . . Raptors rookie Jonas Valanciunas was presented with the Lithuanian player of the year award from Lithuanian legend Arvydas Sabonis before tipoff. . . The Raptors are in Cleveland to face the Cavaliers on Tuesday. They return home to host Detroit on Wednesday and Orlando on Friday.

Notebook: Raptors 103, Rockets 96

Duane Watson, for NBA.com
Posted Sun Dec 16, 2012 5:17 PM - Updated Sun Dec 16, 2012 5:17 PM

THE FACTS: The Toronto Raptors (6-19) won their second game in a row, defeating the Houston Rockets (11-12) 103-96 on Sunday at the Air Canada Centre. The Raptors are now an even 5-5 at home and were led by Jose Calderon's second career triple-double of 17 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds. A strong Raptors bench outscored Houston's 49-23, Alan Anderson led the reserves, tying a career-high of 24 points. DeMar DeRozan's 19 points and Ed Davis' 13 rounded out the other key scorers.

After a sea-saw first half with both teams tied at 49 and shooting the long ball liberally, the Raptors took a narrow lead with Davis' 13 point third quarter, stretching the margin to 77-71.

The Raptors returned to what made them successful last season, playing strong defense, outscoring the Rockets in the second half 54-47 and holding them to .410 percent shooting from the field for the entire game.

The Rockets suffered their seventh sent straight road loss and were paced by James Harden's game-high 28 points. Marcus Morris starting in place of the injured Patrick Patterson scored a career-high 19, while Chandler Parsons scored 12.

QUOTABLE: "We've been missing him. He's a tough guy, he can play defense, he can score the ball, I don't think people realize how good of a player he is. He's a really big help for us."
-- Raptors guard Calderon on Anderson.

THE STAT: Free throws, the Rockets lived at the line, taking 32 attempts to the Raptors 17. Houston shot .781 while Toronto shot .850. Harden alone went 14-for-15 from the charity stripe.

TURNING POINT: With a game that was contested almost from start to finish, the change came with the score 97-95 and 13.9 left in the fourth quarter, Anderson went to the free throw line for two shots and coolly drained them giving the Raptors a 99-95 point lead, which eventually sealed the game for the home team.

QUOTABLE II: "The key was we did not turn the ball over. Our guys did a good job adjusting and running them off the three-point line. It is a team win. Everyone that walked on the floor shared the ball, we had 29 assists."
-- Raptors Head Coach Dwane Casey.

HOT: Calderon again stepped in filling in for the injured Kyle Lowry with his second career triple-double of 17 points, 14 assists, 10 rebounds and 0 turnovers. He shot 6-for-12 from the floor and a perfect 5-for-6 from the free throw line,

NOT: Jeremy Lin couldn't get it going, with some heavy defensive pressure, shooting 3-for-9 from the field, netting 7 points, 3 turnovers, 3 steals and 2 assists.

GOOD MOVE: Harden was relentless attaching the basket, either converting or sent to the free throw line. He took what the defense gave him, making 14 of his15 attempts from the free throw line and 28 points for the game.

NOTABLE: The Raptors have won back-to-back games for the first time this season. The Raptors blocked a season-high 13 shots. Houston has now lost 9 of it's last 10 games in Toronto. Patrick Patterson was out of the Rockets line-up with a bone bruise in his right ankle. The Raptors are still without Kyle Lowry (tricep) Andrea Bargnani (wrist and Landry Fields (wrist) due to injury.

UP NEXT: For the Raptors; Tuesday @ Cleveland, Wednesday vs. Detroit, Friday vs. Orlando. For the Timberwolves; Monday @ New York, Wednesday vs. Philadelphia and Friday vs. Memphis.

• Rockets: Machado, Motiejunas, White
• Raptors: Bargnani, Fields, Lowry

• Rockets: --
• Raptors: --

• Lead Changes: 6
• Times Tied: 2

• Arena: Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON
• Officials: #17 Joe Crawford, #12 Violet Palmer, #40 Leon Wood
• Attendance: 17863
• Duration: 2:26