TORONTO (AP) — Dillon Brooks scored 27 points, Jalen Green added 22, and the Houston Rockets secured a rare victory in Toronto by defeating the struggling Raptors 114-110 on Sunday night. Alperen Sengun contributed 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Rockets, marking their first win in Toronto since December 5, 2019. Fred VanVleet, now with the Rockets, scored 20 points for the Raptors in the previous matchup between the two teams.
Ja’Kobe Walter led the Raptors with a career-high 27 points before fouling out, while Chris Boucher and Ochai Agbaji each chipped in 15 points as Toronto’s losing streak extended to seven games. The Raptors have now lost six consecutive games at home. Walter showcased an impressive start by scoring Toronto’s first 14 points before Gradey Dick ended his streak with a free throw with 7:06 remaining in the first quarter.
Jamal Shead contributed 11 points and a career-best 10 assists for the Raptors. RJ Barrett missed his second consecutive game due to illness.
In terms of takeaways, VanVleet, who was injured during the Rockets’ last visit to Toronto, had a quiet night with eight rebounds and five assists, only scoring in the final minute of the game. VanVleet struggled with his shooting, going 1 for 10 from the field and missing all five of his 3-point attempts. Meanwhile, Scottie Barnes grabbed 10 rebounds but managed only six points on a 2-for-15 shooting performance, including going 0 for 8 from beyond the arc.
A pivotal moment in the game came when Sengun set up Cam Whitmore for an emphatic one-handed alley-oop dunk, giving the Rockets a 99-91 lead — their largest advantage of the game — with 6:58 left in the fourth quarter.
Houston struggled with turnovers, giving up 23 points off 14 turnovers in the first half. Although they improved in the second half, finishing with 21 turnovers, it was still a season-worst performance in terms of ball security.
