The Toronto Raptors ( 16 - 5 ) defeated the Denver Nuggets ( 9 - 12 ) 112 - 107 on Monday at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto . The Raptors were able to get out to a 62 - 52 lead after the first half , but the Nuggets turned in a big third quarter and evened it back up going into the fourth . After ending regulation tied 102 - 102 , they went into overtime where the Raptors held the Nuggets to only five points , therefore securing the victory . The Raptors received a big contribution off the bench in the overtime win . Louis Williams led all scorers with 26 points ( 7 - 16 FG , 3 - 10 3Pt , 9 - 10 FT ) , while also grabbing three rebounds . It was a nice bounce back game for him , after scoring only five points on Friday against the Cavaliers . Patrick Patterson was the other big bench presence , as he went 7 - for - 11 from the field and 5 - for - 7 from the three - point line to score 19 points . He also chipped in eight rebounds , in what was arguably one of his best games of the year . Starting at center , Jonas Valanciunas recorded his fifth double - double of the year , finishing with 18 points and 12 rebounds . He did it on the defensive side of the ball as well and recorded a season - high of four blocks . Kyle Lowry and Terrence Ross had 13 and 16 points respectively , with Lowry handing out 13 assists . The Nuggets backcourt did most of the damage to the Raptors . Arron Afflalo went 9 - for - 14 from the field and 4 - for - 7 from the three - point line to score a team - high of 25 points , while adding six rebounds . Ty Lawson also had a big game and recorded 22 points ( 8 - 19 FG , 2 - 8 3Pt , 4 - 6 FT ) and 12 assists . It was his ninth straight game with at least 10 assists . Wilson Chandler got off a team - high of 21 shots , but only converted on seven , giving him 18 points on the night . He 's now combined for 67 points in the last three games , as he continues to get off a ridiculous amount of shots . Both J.J. Hickson and Timofey Mozgov reached double - figures , scoring 10 and 15 points respectively . Mozgov contributed 12 rebounds to go along with his 15 points , giving him his second double - double in a row . The Raptors ' next game will be on the road against the Cleveland Cavliers on Tuesday , while the Nuggets will be at home against the Miami Heat on Tuesday as well .


The Toronto Raptors ( 17 - 6 ) defeated the Indiana Pacers ( 7 - 16 ) 106 - 94 on Friday . Toronto has won four of their last six games as they continue to find ways to win without DeMar DeRozan ( adductor ) in the lineup . Landry Fields started at small forward for the second straight game , putting up eight points in 21 minutes . Louis Williams scored a game - high 26 points off the bench , continuing to show up with big offensive production most games . DrRozan is expected to miss at least another few weeks . The Raptors will go on the road to face the New York Knicks on Sunday . Indiana is almost back to full health , excluding Paul George who is out for the season , but since getting David West back eight games ago , they 've only won a single game . George Hill returned to practice in a limited capacity Thursday , but he 's no savior . He wo n't turn the tide for the Pacers . If they ca n't compete with their current lineups , they wo n't improve much with Hill back . C.J . Miles turned a couple good shooting performances off the bench into a move into the starting lineup Friday , but after just 13 minutes of action , Miles suffered a bruised knee and was removed from the game . Roy Hibbert started off the season performing well on both sides of the court , but since returning from an ankle injury six games ago , Hibbert has been foul prone and generally inept on both sides of the court . It 's possible his ankle injury is still hindering his mobility and effectiveness . The Pacers will have a chance to redeem themselves Saturday when they host the Portland Trail Blazers .


The Toronto Raptors ( 19 - 6 ) defeated the Orlando Magic ( 10 - 17 ) 95 - 82 on Monday . Toronto is on a three - game win streak . Louis Williams led the way for them Monday , putting up a game - high 18 points off the bench . All 10 players that the Raptors used in their rotation received 20 or more minutes , and Kyle Lowry was the only player to receive over 30 minutes of run . Lowry finished with 17 points and eight assists . Orlando has lost three of their last four games , as they were playing through a stretch that saw them facing off against the top teams in the Eastern Conference . Realistically , coming out with one win while facing the Hawks ( twice ) , Wizards and Raptors over a four - game stretch , should be considered an accomplishment . Nikola Vucevic played 35 minutes in his second game back from a lower back injury . Tobias Harris paced the team with 18 points . Toronto will host the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday . Orlando will wrap up their two - game road trip in Boston against the Celtics on Wednesday .


The Toronto Raptors ( 20 - 6 ) knocked off the Brooklyn Nets ( 10 - 14 ) 105 - 89 on Wednesday . The Nets were once again without Brook Lopez ( back ) , giving Mason Plumlee another start at center . Lopez is expected to be out until at least Sunday . Kevin Garnett was also held out to rest his foot injury on the second night of a back - to - back , which sent Mirza Teletovic into the starting lineup . Both Plumlee and Teletovic got plenty of work , and both produced nicely . Plumlee played 37 minutes , scoring 23 points ( 9 - 13 FG , 0 - 1 3Pt , 5 - 11 FT ) to go with eight rebounds , two assists and two blocks , while Teletovic scored 14 points ( 5 - 10 FG , 4 - 8 3Pt ) to go with three rebounds and two assists in 21 minutes . Joe Johnson had a solid night as well , scoring 17 points ( 8 - 17 FG , 1 - 4 3Pt , 0 - 3 FT ) to go with eight rebounds , three assists and one steal in 38 minutes . The Raptors rallied in the fourth , outscoring the Nets 29 - 16 to run away with the game . They were led by a big night from Kyle Lowry , who had 20 points ( 7 - 13 FG , 2 - 3 3Pt , 4 - 4 FT ) to go with 12 assists , three rebounds and two steals in 32 minutes . Jonas Valanciunas also posted a double - double , posting 16 points ( 6 - 7 FG , 4 - 4 FT ) and 10 rebounds in 28 minutes . It was a well - rounded effort for the Raptors , as six players scored in double figures , with three of those players coming off the bench ( Patrick Patterson , Greivis Vasquez and Louis Williams ) . The win streak is now up to four in a row for Toronto , and they 'll look to keep it going against the Detroit Pistons on Friday night .


The Raptors ( 22 - 6 ) got 22 points and nine assists from Kyle Lowry en route to a 118 - 108 win over the Knicks ( 5 - 25 ) on Sunday . Toronto jumped out to an eight - point first quarter lead and never looked back , maintaining a seven - point advantage at the half . The Raptors turned it on in the third quarter , beginning the period on a 17 - 7 run and extending the lead to 16 points entering the fourth . Lowry 's 22 led the way for Toronto , and the point guard was serenaded with `` MVP '' chants from fans while at the free throw line in the fourth quarter . Jonas Valanciunas added 10 points , and Terrence Ross finished with 18 , including four three - pointers . Lou Williams contributed 22 points off the bench , and Greivis Vasquez had 21 to go with five assists . The Raptors shot nearly 49 percent from the floor and knocked down 14 three - pointers as a team . The Knicks were led by 28 points ( 12 - 26 FG ) and five rebounds from Carmelo Anthony . Jose Calderon added 15 , and Cole Aldrich , who started at center with Amare Stoudemire resting , finished with 11 points and seven rebounds . Jason Smith was the high man off the bench with 16 points in 21 minutes . Samuel Dalembert , who finished with two points , was ejected in the third quarter for elbowing Valanciunas . Up next , the Knicks face the Wizards at Madison Square Garden on Christmas Day . Toronto plays at Chicago on Monday night .


The Charlotte Hornets ( 14 - 24 ) beat the Toronto Raptors ( 24 - 11 ) in Toronto on Thursday , 103 - 95 . Toronto dropped just its fourth home game of the season and have now dropped four straight overall . The Hornets started the second half with a 14 - 1 run to gain an 11 - point lead mid way through the third quarter . Charlotte had big contributions from Gerald Henderson and Kemba Walker , who combined for 60 points in the contest . Charlotte entered the game without Cody Zeller , who was sidelined with a shoulder injury . Marvin Williams filled in for Zeller and had a productive night , scoring 13 points ( 5 - 10 FG , 3 - 6 3Pt ) to go along with nine rebounds . The Hornets combined to shoot 48 % from the floor and outscored the Raptors in the paint despite missing Zeller . Kemba Walker just missed out on his fourth consecutive 30 - point game , scoring 29 against the Raptors . Charlotte has now won four in a row and will take on the New York at Madison Square Garden on Saturday . Toronto has hit a rough patch and has now fallen to third place in the Eastern Conference behind the surging Hawks and Bulls . Kyle Lowry led the team in scoring with 24 points , but did so on just 7 - of - 22 shooting from the field . The Raptors will look to snap their losing streak on Saturday when they host the Celtics .


The Toronto Raptors ( 25 - 11 ) defeated the Boston Celtics ( 12 - 23 ) 109 - 96 on Saturday at the Air Canada Centre . The Celtics had a nine - point lead in the second quarter evaporate when Toronto went on a 16 - 3 run to end the first half . Toronto dominated the paint throughout the night , outscoring Boston 54 - 42 in that area and had 10 blocks compared to Boston 's three . The Raptors also had an impressive shooting performance from three - point range , shooting 43 % from beyond the arc . Boston lost its second game in as many nights after a tough 107 - 103 loss in overtime on Friday night at Indiana . Jae Crowder got the start again at small forward , but managed just seven points and three rebounds in 22 minutes of action . The Celtics begin a three - game homestand on Monday when they take on the Pelicans . Toronto snapped its four - game losing streak Saturday night with solid performances from the likes of Kyle Lowry and Jonas Valanciunas . James Johnson , who got the start over Landry Fields , posted a double - double with 15 points and 10 rebounds . Fields did not receive any playing time against the Celtics . Toronto will host Detroit on Monday in the third installment of a six - game homestand .


The Detroit Pistons ( 14 - 24 ) took down the Toronto Raptors ( 25 - 12 ) on Monday at the Air Canada Centre . Brandon Jennings led the Pistons with 34 points and 10 assists in 34 minutes . He has scored 29 - plus points in three of his last seven games after doing that just once through his first 31 games this season . Greg Monroe also finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds in 33 minutes . Detroit has been red - hot without Josh Smith , going 9 - 1 since his departure . The one loss came against the Atlanta Hawks , who hold the Eastern Conference 's best record . Jonas Valunciunas put up 22 points and 10 rebounds in the first half . However , he cooled down in the second half and ended up with 31 points and 12 rebounds . Kyle Lowry had a rough night with 10 points on 3 - of - 12 from the floor to go with seven turnovers . He did manage to pitch in seven rebounds , 12 assists and two steals . While Toronto sits second in the Eastern Conference , they 're off to a 1 - 4 start in January . The Pistons will now head back to Detroit to play the Pelicans , as the Raptors will stay home and face the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday .


The Toronto Raptors ( 26 - 12 ) ran away from the Philadelphia 76ers ( 7 - 31 ) in a 100 - 84 win Wednesday . In DeMar DeRozan 's first contest since Nov. 28 , when he suffered a torn left groin , he immediately entered the starting five and did n't miss a beat , supplying 20 points , four rebounds , three assists , one steal , and one block in 29 minutes . His backcourt mate , Kyle Lowry , again powered the offense , notching a near triple - double - - 18 points , 12 dimes , and seven rebounds - - while drilling four of the Raptors ' 10 three - pointers . Reserve guard Lou Williams matched Lowry 's four treys en route to 19 points of his own . Down low , Amir Johnson busted out for 10 points and 16 boards , marking his second consecutive double - double . Toronto will aim for back - to - back victories , and their third in four games , during Friday 's matchup against the Eastern Conference-leading Atlanta Hawks . Falling for the second contest in a row , the Sixers ultimately could n't keep pace with an intact Raptors rotation . Michael Carter-Williams did everything in his power to maintain a respectable result with a 29 - point , seven - rebound , four - assist effort , but his teammates combined to shoot less than 35 percent ( 19 - for - 55 ) from the field . While Robert Covington was a late scratch due to a right shoulder contusion , the night was n't all for naught , as both Nerlens Noel ( 12 points and eight rebounds ) and K.J . McDaniels ( 10 points and eight boards ) fell just shy of double - double territory . Upon their return to Philadelphia , the Sixers will face the New Orleans Pelicans for the first time this season .


The Hawks ( 32 - 8 ) got 22 points from Al Horford and held off the Raptors ( 23 - 16 ) 110 - 89 on Friday in Toronto . The win was Atlanta 's 11th in a row since falling to Milwaukee on Dec. 26 and its fourth consecutive win by at least 10 points . All five starters scored in double - figures , led by Horford 's 22 . The big man also had five rebounds and five assists in 28 minutes after sitting out to rest Wednesday . Kyle Korver , who was also rested against Boston , returned to the lineup and added 11 points in 29 minutes . Jeff Teague pitched in 13 points and nine assists , and Paul Millsap added 16 points , eight rebounds , four assists and three steals . The Hawks were out - rebounded by Toronto and committed 17 turnovers but shot a scorching - hot 61 percent from the floor . Toronto , losers of six of its last eight , matched Atlanta 's 17 turnovers but managed only 43 percent shooting . DeMar DeRozan , in his second game back from injury , led all scorers with 25 points on 11 - of - 18 shooting . His backcourt mate , Kyle Lowry , struggled , finishing with only 11 points ( 5 - 13 FG ) . Terrence Ross and Jonas Valanciunas combined for nine points on 2 - of - 12 shooting , and Amir Johnson added eight points in 23 minutes . James Johnson had a productive night off the bench , finishing with 17 points on 7 - of - 11 shooting . Up next , the Raptors finish off a six - game homestand Sunday against New Orleans . Atlanta ends its four - game road swing Saturday night in Chicago .


The New Orleans Pelicans ( 20 - 20 ) defeated the Toronto Raptors ( 26 - 14 ) 95 - 93 on Sunday . New Orleans found a way to knock off the Raptors despite being without two of their starters for a second straight game . Anthony Davis has missed two straight games with a turf toe injury , and Jrue Holiday has missed three straight games dealing with inflamation in his right ankle , the same ankle that caused Holiday to sit out most of last season with a stress fracture . Tyreke Evans has picked up the slack on offense . He scored a game - high 26 points Sunday . Evans was aided by superb play off the bench from Alexis Ajinca , who put up 22 points and six rebounds in 34 minutes . The Pelicans could get Davis back for Monday 's game against the New York Knicks , but Holiday is not expected to play . They remain three games behind the Phoenix Suns for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference . Toronto has dropped two straight games , falling to the Atlanta Hawks 110 - 89 on Friday before losing Sunday 's game as well . After losing the first two quarters Sunday , the Raptors moved Terrence Ross to the bench for the second half and started Greivis Vasquez in his place . After sitting atop the Eastern Conference standings for the better part of the first two months of the season , Toronto has started to fall in the standings . They 've dropped seven of their last nine games to fall 7 games behind the East-leading Atlanta Hawks . DeMar DeRozan returned to action three games ago , but he has n't brought the Raptors back to their elite level , yet . The Raptors will go on the road to face the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday , giving them an opportunity to begin righting the ship in short order .


The Toronto Raptors ( 29 - 15 ) defeated the Detroit Pistons ( 17 - 28 ) 114 - 110 on Sunday at the Air Canada Center in Toronto . Despite being out - scored 31 - 25 in the final quarter , the Raptors were able to hold of the Pistons ' late comeback attempt and secure the four - point victory in front of their home crowd . While the game may have been close , the Raptors shot the ball much better than the Pistons , going 53 percent from the field compared to just 46 percent from the field for the Pistons . The Raptors also forced them into 14 turnovers , while only committing eight of their own , which may have made a big difference in this one . After combining for only 14 points over his last three games , DeMar DeRozan returned to form Sunday , finishing with 25 points ( 8 - 14 FG , 1 - 2 3Pt , 8 - 10 FT ) , six rebounds and four assists . It was good to see him turn things around , as the Raptors really needed him to play well after losing six of their last ten games . Jonas Valnciunas was another big factor in the win . He went 9 - for - 15 from the field and 2 - for - 2 from the free throw line to score 20 points , while adding 11 rebounds and three blocked shots as well . He 's now recorded a double - double in three out of his last four games , while also notching three blocks in two consecutive outings . Amir Johnson had a solid showing as well , finishing with an efficient 17 points ( 7 - 9 FG , 3 - 4 FT ) and two rebounds . He only played 17 minutes in Friday 's win over the Sixers , but he was back to a normal amount of minutes Sunday , playing a full game 's worth of 28 . Both Greivis Vasquez and Louis Williams reached double figures in points as well , with 13 and 12 points respectively . With Brandon Jennings going down for the year , D.J . Augustin stepped up in a big way , going 12 - for - 20 from the field and 5 - for - 9 from the three - point line to score a game - high of 35 points , while adding eight assists as well . It was the most shots he 's taken all season , resulting in a new season - high in points . He 'll run as the starting point guard moving forward . Greg Monroe had another strong stat line Sunday , recording 21 points ( 9 - 17 FG , 3 - 5 FT ) and 16 rebounds . He 's now posted a double - double in four out of his last five games . Andre Drummond nearly notched a double - double of his own , but came up just shy with 14 points ( 7 - 11 FG , 0 - 1 FT ) and eight rebounds . He had a really tough matchup with Valanciunas , so he did n't have his normal eye - popping amount of rebounds that he 's come accustomed to . The only other Piston to reach double figures in points was Kentavious Caldwell-Pope who added 16 points ( 6 - 17 FG , 3 - 9 3Pt , 1 - 2 FT ) , three rebounds and two steals . The Raptors ' next game will be on the road against the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday , while the Pistons will be at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday .


The Toronto Raptors ( 31 - 15 ) defeated the Sacramento Kings ( 16 - 28 ) 119 - 102 on Wednesday at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto . While the game went into halftime tied 54 - 54 , the Raptors came out firing in the third quarter , out - scoring the Kings 39 - 22 and allowing themselves to coast to a 17 - point victory at home in front of their crowd . The Raptors were the superior shooters in this game , going 51 percent from the field and 50 percent from the three - point line , while the Kings went 48 percent from the field and 41 percent from beyond the arc . With their fantastic shooting and rebounding advantage , the Raptors grabbed their fourth straight victory . The biggest contributor for the Raptors surprisingly came off the bench in Wednesday 's matchup , as Louis Williams finished with a team - high of 27 points ( 7 - 16 FG , 4 - 12 3Pt , 9 - 9 FT ) , while also adding two assists and three steals in only 26 minutes . It was a very nice surprise for the Raptors , as he 's only averaging 15 points per game so far this season . Greivis Vasquez shot well , going 7 - for - 9 from the field and 4 - for - 5 from the three - point line to score 18 points , while also recording four rebounds and six assists . He 's really struggled with his shot this season , so it was good to see him turn it around Wednesday . Coming just short of a double - double , Jonas Valanciunas recorded 15 points ( 6 - 10 FG , 3 - 3 FT ) and nine rebounds . He 's now averaging 13 points and 9 rebounds on the season . Neither Kyle Lowry or DeMar DeRozan had too big of a night , but each still finished in double figures . Lowry had 13 points ( 5 - 12 FG , 2 - 4 3Pt , 1 - 1 FT ) and seven assists , while DeRozan had 12 points ( 5 - 13 FG , 1 - 3 3Pt , 1 - 4 FT ) and six assists . The Kings were led by Rudy Gay , who recorded 22 points ( 8 - 17 FG , 2 - 5 3Pt , 4 - 5 FT ) and three assists . Despite Friday 's zero point outing where he played only 13 minutes , Gay has now scored 22 points or more in his last four games . Ben McLemore went 6 - for - 11 from the field and 3 - for - 6 from the three - point line to score 17 points , while also adding five rebounds . It was the most points he 's scored since mid - December , so it was good to see him dial in his shot Wednesday . Having one of his least productive games in awhile , DeMarcus Cousins finished with only 13 points ( 5 - 10 FG , 3 - 4 FT ) , four rebounds and two blocked shots . He matched a season - high of nine turnovers as well , so he 'll need to cut those down if the Kings want a chance at winning in the future . The Raptors ' next game will be on the road against the Brooklyn Nets on Friday , while the Kings will travel to Cleveland to play the Cavaliers on Friday .


The Milwaukee Bucks ( 26 - 22 ) defeated the Toronto Raptors ( 33 - 16 ) 82 - 75 on Monday at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto . Coming out of the third quarter , the Bucks had built a 73 - 60 lead and looked to be on the verge of coasting to an easy win . The Raptors made a run in the fourth quarter though , out - scoring the Bucks 15 - 9 , but their comeback came up just short , as the Bucks secured the seven - point victory and ended the Raptors win streak at six . The Bucks were the superior shooters in this matchup , going 41 percent from the field and 44 percent from the three - point line , while the Raptors went just 32 percent from the floor and a meager 26 percent from beyond the arc . Khris Middleton led the Bucks with a very impressive performance Monday . He went 10 - for - 17 from the field and 3 - for - 4 from the three - point line to score a game - high of 25 points , while also adding nine rebounds and three steals . With Brandon Knight sitting out due to a quad injury and Jorge Gutierrez going scoreless as his replacement in the starting lineup , Middleton took it on himself to keep the Bucks moving forward , and was the biggest reason for the Bucks ' success . Giannis Antetokounmpo added a double - double , finishing with 12 points ( 4 - 9 FG , 0 - 1 3Pt , 4 - 8 FT ) and 12 rebounds . It was his second double - double in a row , as he 's combined for 22 points and 22 rebounds over those two outings . Also reaching double figures in points was Jared Dudley , who scored 14 points ( 5 - 12 FG , 3 - 7 3Pt , 1 - 4 FT ) and handed out five assists . He 's had a nice stretch of three games where he 's averaging 16 points . John Henson also pitched in with 12 points ( 5 - 8 FG , 2 - 2 FT ) and four rebounds . In limited playing time , DeMar DeRozan did everything he could to keep the Raptors alive in this game , finishing with 16 points ( 5 - 16 FG , 0 - 2 3Pt , 6 - 8 FT ) and two assists in only 25 minutes . He 's averaging 19 points , 5 rebounds and 6 assists over his last three games . Kyle Lowry really struggled with his shot Monday , while he also was dealing with a tight hamstring , which forced him from the game in the first quarter before returning in the second . He went only 1 - for - 7 from the field and 0 - for - 2 from the three - point line to score two points in 29 minutes . Recording a double - double , Jonas Valanciunas recorded 12 points ( 6 - 9 FG ) and 13 rebounds in 25 minutes . He was dealing with an ankle injury during Saturday 's win over the Wizards and played only 17 minutes in that game , so it was good to see get some extended time on the court . The Raptors did see some contribution from their bench , with both Louis Williams and Terrence Ross reaching double figures in points . Williams had 12 points ( 1 - 12 FG , 1 - 7 3Pt , 9 - 10 FT ) and one rebound , while Ross finished with 10 points ( 4 - 12 FG , 2 - 5 3Pt ) and four rebounds . The Bucks ' next game will be at home against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday , while the Raptors will be at home against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday .


The Brooklyn Nets ( 20 - 28 ) defeated the Toronto Raptors ( 33 - 17 ) 109 - 93 on Wednesday at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto . Despite being down 51 - 49 after the second quarter , the Nets went off in the second half , out - scoring the Raptors 60 - 42 to close out the game and secure the 16 - point victory on the road . The Nets were the superior shooters in this game , going 49 percent from the field and 47 percent from the three - point line , while the Raptors went 44 percent from the floor and just 30 percent from beyond the arc . Starting at point guard , Jarrett Jack led the Nets , going 9 - for - 13 from the field and 2 - for - 4 from the three - point line to score 24 points , while also adding six assists as well . He struggled to only six points on 3 - of - 11 shooting during Monday 's game against the Clippers , so it was good to see him get things pointed back in the right direction . Getting the start at shooting guard , Alan Anderson also had a nice showing , finishing with 22 points ( 7 - 9 FG , 3 - 5 3Pt , 5 - 5 FT ) and five rebounds . It was a season - high in points for Anderson and also a welcomed surprise from the Nets , as he 's only averaging 6 points per game on the season . Deron Williams continued to come off the bench and posted 11 points ( 4 - 12 FG , 0 - 2 3Pt , 3 - 4 FT ) and six assists in 32 minutes . It was his second game back since returning from a rib injury , so it was good to see him get a bunch of playing time . Joe Johnson and Bojan Bogdanovic reached double figures as well with 12 and 11 points respectively . The Raptors were led by Terrence Ross , who came off the bench to score a team - high of 23 points ( 9 - 16 FG , 5 - 11 3Pt ) , while adding three rebounds . The 23 points were a new season - high for him , while the five three - pointers he made were also a season - high . Kyle Lowry was able to post a double - double , finishing with 13 points ( 5 - 13 FG , 1 - 3 3Pt , 2 - 4 FT ) , six rebounds and 10 assists . He 's scored 13 points or less in four out of his last five games , as his points totals have gone down a bit lately . DeMar DeRozan recorded 13 points ( 5 - 13 FG , 0 - 2 3Pt , 3 - 3 FT ) , five rebounds and six assists in 34 minutes . He 's now averaging 18 points and 4 rebounds on the year . The only other Raptor to reach double figures in points was Patrick Patterson , who added 11 points ( 5 - 10 FG , 1 - 5 3Pt ) and eight rebounds off the bench . The Nets ' next game will be at home against the New York Knicks on Friday , while the Raptors will be at home against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday .


The Toronto Raptors ( 34 - 17 ) defeated the Los Angeles Clippers ( 33 - 18 ) 123 - 107 on Friday . DeMar DeRozan was just shy of a triple - double , finishing with 24 points , nine rebounds and eight assists along with two steals , leading the Raptors in all four of those categories . James Johnson made his return to the Toronto lineup . He had been dealing with a hamstring issue that forced him to miss the last four games . Johnson had 16 points in 19 minutes off the bench . He was n't the only one filling it up off the bench , as Lou Williams put up 18 points to go along with five assists . Toronto has won seven of its last nine , and sits in second place in the Eastern Conference standings The Clippers got off to a 30 - 10 start but could n't hold off a hot Raptors team that went on to out score Los Angeles 113 - 77 over the final 38:33 . Los Angeles appears be dealing with some bugs around the locker room , as Hedo Turoglu was unavailable Friday due to a stomach virus and DeAndre Jordan left the game in the third quarter with flu - like symptoms . Jordan did return to play another eight minutes and finished the game with nine points and seven rebounds . The Clippers are 0 - 3 thus far in February . Next up , the Raptors will host the Spurs on Sunday , and the Clippers will head to Oklahoma City to take on the Thunder , also on Sunday .


The Toronto Raptors ( 35 - 17 ) defeated the San Antonio Spurs ( 32 - 19 ) 87 - 82 on Sunday . The Raptors made a change to their starting lineup , moving James Johnson into the starting small forward spot and shifting Greivis Vasquez back to a bench role . Johnson capitalized on the promotion to score a game - high 20 points in 30 minutes . Vasquez played 16 minutes off the bench and put up five points and two assists . It was a gritty game , with both teams shooting 43 percent or worse from the floor . The Raptors pulled away from the Spurs thanks to their work at the free - throw line . DeMar DeRozan led the charge there , marching to the line to convert 10 - of - 12 attempts . The Spurs could n't buy a shot , shooting 33 percent from the field and 25 percent from beyond the arc . Tim Duncan and Marco Belinelli tied for a team - high 12 points , illustrating the Spurs ' futility on offense . Toronto is in second place in the Eastern Conference , but they sit seven games behind the conference - leading Hawks . The Raptors will host the Wizards on Wednesday . San Antonio sits in seventh place in the Western Conference standings , 4 games ahead of the eighth place Suns . The Spurs will continue their nine - game road trip in Indiana on Monday .


The Toronto Raptors ( 36 - 17 ) defeated the Washington Wizards ( 33 - 21 ) 95 - 93 on Wednesday at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto . With just under 13 seconds left in the game , DeMar DeRozan was able to hit a jump shot , putting the Raptors up by two . On the Wizards next posession , John Wall attempted to drive to the hoop , but got blocked by Kyle Lowry . The Wizards got the ball back after the block , and Wall had one more shot to win the game , but he missed a three - pointer at the buzzer , giving the Raptors the close two - point victory in front of their home crowd . While the Wizards ( 46 percent ) shot better than the Raptors from the field ( 41 percent ) , the Raptors took the advantage from the three - point line , going 42 percent from deep , while the Wizards went just 24 percent . Along with the go - ahead bucket that helped give the Raptors a victory , DeRozan also posted 23 points ( 6 - 18 FG , 1 - 2 3Pt , 10 - 10 FT ) , three rebounds and three steals in the victory . He 's on an impressive stretch of three games where he 's averaging 22 points , five rebounds and 3 steals per game . The Raptors also received a huge contribution off the bench , as Louis Williams went 8 - for - 16 from the field and 4 - for - 8 from the three - point line to score 27 points in 33 minutes . It was a nice turn of events for him , after going scoreless in Sunday 's game against the Spurs . He 's now averaging 15 points on the season . Along with the block of Wall in the final seconds , Lowry also added 13 points ( 5 - 12 FG , 3 - 7 3Pt ) , four rebounds and six assists . His points totals were down , but with DeRozan and Williams playing so well , he did n't have to do as much offensively . Greivis Vasquez recorded 11 points ( 4 - 7 FG , 3 - 5 3PT ) in just 18 minutes as well . John Wall led the team for the Wizards , but just could n't come up clutch in the final moments . He finished with 21 points ( 7 - 15 FG , 1 - 6 3Pt , 6 - 8 FT ) , four rebounds and eight assists . He shot only 30 percent ( 3 - 10 FG ) from the field in Monday 's game against the Magic , so it was nice to see some improvement with his shot . Paul Pierce also played a factor , going 7 - for - 12 from the field and 2 - for - 4 from the three - point line to score 17 points . After combining for just eight points over his last two games , he was much more efficient with his time Wednesday . Nene had a solid showing , posting 14 points ( 7 - 8 FG , 0 - 2 FT ) , four rebounds and four steals . It was his second straight night with 14 points , while the four steals matched a season - high . The high scorer off the bench was Drew Gooden , who notched a double - double with 10 points ( 5 - 12 FG , 0 - 1 3Pt ) and 12 rebounds . The Wizards ' next game will be at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday after the All-Star break , while the Raptors will travel to Atlanta to play the Hawks on Friday after the All-Star break as well .


The Golden State Warriors ( 45 - 11 ) defeated the Toronto Raptors ( 37 - 21 ) 113 - 89 on Friday at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto . Already riding a three - game losing streak , it continued to get worse for the Raptors , taking a lopsided 24 - point loss to the Warriors . The Warriors got off to a really quick start , out - scoring the Raptors 27 - 11 after the first quarter and 54 - 31 by half . Along with the hot start , the Warriors also secured the shooting advantage , going 48 percent from the field and 46 percent from the three - point line , while the Raptors ended at 40 percent from the floor and a brutal 18 percent from deep . The Raptors just were n't able to keep up with the high - scoring offense of the Warriors . As has been the case for the majority of the season thus far , the Warriors ' superstar backcourt duo of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson did the bulk of the work offensively . Curry went 8 - for - 13 from the field and 3 - for - 4 from the three - point line to score 22 points , while adding six rebounds and five assists as well . He could have had a lot higher numbers at the conclusion , but he only had to play 25 minutes , with such a large lead . He 's averaged 24 points and 6 assists over his last three games . Thompson , on the other hand , posted a team - high of 25 points ( 9 - 18 FG , 5 - 8 3Pt , 2 - 2 FT ) , to go along with five assists in 28 minutes . He 's been hitting his three - point shot at a very high rate recently , going a combined 9 - of - 15 from deep over his previous three outings . He 's now averaging 22 points , 3 rebounds and 3 assists on the season . Draymond Green had a very efficient 17 points ( 6 - 9 FG , 3 - 5 3Pt , 2 - 2 FT ) , while coming just shy of a double - double with nine rebounds and three blocked shots as well . He 's had two solid showings in a row , combining for 33 points , 17 rebounds and seven steals . For the Raptors , DeMar DeRozan ended up as the only starter reaching double figures in points . He finished with 14 points ( 4 - 16 FG , 0 - 1 3Pt , 6 - 6 FT ) and three rebounds in 26 minutes on the court . It was the third time over his last four games shooting under 35 percent from the field , as he 's struggled to get dialed in . With the rest of the starters combining for only 19 points , the Raptors turned to the bench for some offensive help . Terrence Ross was the biggest contributor , going 7 - for - 14 from the field and 3 - for - 8 from the three - point line to post 18 points in just 24 minutes . After failing to reach double figures in points for seven straight games , Ross finally got rolling and was able to convert on 50 percent ( 7 - 14 FG ) of his shots . He 's averaging 10 points and 3 rebounds on the season . The only other Raptor to reach double - digit points was Louis Williams , who also came off the bench . In 26 minutes , he finished with 12 points ( 2 - 7 FG , 1 - 4 3Pt , 7 - 8 FT ) and four rebounds . On a side note , both Tyler Hansbrough and Festus Ezeli were ejected after they got into a shoving match . The Warriors ' next game will be on the road against the Boston Celtics on Sunday , while the Raptors will travel to New York to play the Knicks on Saturday .


The Toronto Raptors ( 38 - 23 ) fell to the Cleveland Cavaliers ( 39 - 24 ) 120 - 112 on Wednesday at the Air Canada Centre . The Cavaliers opened the fourth quarter with a 13 - point lead , but the Raptors ' Louis Williams sparked the comeback to close the gap , scoring Toronto 's first nine points of the final period . Williams torched Cleveland for 21 points in the fourth , but the Raptors could n't quite finish the comeback . LeBron James came up big with 29 points and 14 assists to lift Cleveland over Toronto to continue its surge towards the top of the Eastern Conference . Cleveland was coming off an easy win Tuesday against Boston , but got everything Toronto could throw its way Wednesday . Kyrie Irving , Kevin Love , and LeBron James all had over 20 points . The Cavaliers have now won six of their eight games since the All-Star break . Cleveland has a big matchup on the slate Friday as it will travel to Atlanta to square off with the Hawks . Toronoto 's skid continued Wednesday after it briefly stopped Monday against Philadelphia . Kyle Lowry was rested yet again , but Greivis Vasquez filled in admirably . Vasquez finished with 13 assists and six points over 40 minutes . Lou Williams was the big story for Toronto with his huge fourth quarter effort . Toronto will look to get back on track Friday in Charlotte as it starts a three - game road swing .


The Toronto Raptors ( 39 - 26 ) defeated the Miami Heat ( 29 - 36 ) 102 - 92 on Friday at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto . The Raptors got out to a quick start in this game , out - scoring the Heat 50 - 41 right away in the first half . The Raptors shot 43 percent from the field and 36 percent from the three - point line , while the Heat finished at 44 percent from the floor and 22 percent from deep . With the win , Toronto moves into a tie with the Chicago Bulls ( who lost to the Hornets Friday ) for the third projected playoff seed in the Eastern Conference standings , while the Heat drop to a half game behind the Hornets ( who beat the Bulls Friday ) for the eigth and final projected playoff seed . Giving the Raptors their biggest contribution was Kyle Lowry , who filled up the stat sheet and came quite close to recording a quadruple - double . He went 7 - for - 12 from the field and 5 - for - 8 from the three - point line to score a team - high of 19 points , while adding eight rebounds , eight assists and seven steals over 37 minutes . It was a season - high in steals for the guard , who 's averaging 2 steals on the year . Over his last two games , he 's combined for 51 points , 12 rebounds , 13 assists and nine steals . Despite shooting pretty poorly from the floor , DeMar DeRozan forced his way to the free throw line and finished with 18 points ( 3 - 12 FG , 0 - 1 3Pt , 12 - 13 FT ) , six rebounds and six assists . He matched a season - high in both free throws made and attempted , and improved his free throw percentage to just over 81 percent on the season . It was the first time he 's scored less than 20 points in five games , but the Raptors were still able to grab the win and end their losing streak . Coming off the bench , Louis Williams posted 14 points ( 4 - 12 FG , 2 - 8 3Pt , 4 - 6 FT ) and four rebounds in 23 minutes . For the Heat , Dwyane Wade continued his impressive stretch for the Heat , as he shot 40 percent or higher from the field for the fifth straight game . Wade went 9 - for - 13 from the field and 1 - for - 2 from the three - point line to score a team - high of 25 points , to go along with four assists . Over his last five games , he 's averaging 28 points and five assists per matchup . Goran Dragic also had a nice showing and posted 18 points ( 8 - 17 FG , 0 - 4 3Pt , 2 - 2 FT ) and five assists . Since joining the Heat nine games ago , he 's averaging 16 points , 3 rebounds , 5 assists and 2 steals per game . Michael Beasley gave the Heat the biggest contribution off the bench , as he recorded 11 points ( 4 - 10 FG , 1 - 2 3Pt , 2 - 2 FT ) and nine rebounds over 26 minutes . After playing just 14 minutes in Wednesday 's game against the Nets , he got a nice boost in court time , which he was able to convert into his fifth outing in double figures this season . Hassan Whiteside added nine points ( 4 - 6 FG , 1 - 4 FT ) , 12 rebounds and three blocks while back with the starters . The Raptors ' next game will be at home against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday , while the Heat will be at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday .


The Portland Trail Blazers ( 44 - 20 ) defeated the Toronto Raptors ( 39 - 27 ) 113 - 97 on Sunday at the Air Canade Centre in Toronto . This win marks the third in a row for the Blazers , as they currently sit as the third projected playoff seed in the Western Conference standings , just one game back from the Grizzlies and one game ahead of the Rockets . The Raptors , on the other hand , have lost eight of their last ten games , but sit tied for the third projected playoff seed with the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference standings . The Trail Blazers shot well in this outing , going 52 percent from the field and 45 percent from the three - point line , while the Raptors went 47 percent from the floor and just 28 percent from deep . With all five starters reaching double figures in points , it was a nice team - effort win for the Trail Blazers on Sunday . Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge led the way , as each surpassed the 20 - point mark . Aldridge went 9 - for - 14 from the field and 6 - for - 8 from the free throw line to score a team - high of 24 points , while also adding 10 rebounds and five assists . It marked his second double - double over his last three games , a stretch where he 's averaging 24 points and 10 rebounds . Lillard , on the other hand , finished with 23 points ( 10 - 2 - FG , 2 - 8 3Pt , 1 - 2 FT ) of his own , to go along with five assists and two steals . He 's played well of late , combining for 51 points and 14 assists over his last two games . On the season , he 's now averaging 21 points , 5 rebounds and 6 assists per game . Nicolas Batum was able to notch a double - double as well , posting 10 points ( 3 - 5 FG , 2 - 2 3Pt , 2 - 2 FT ) and 12 assists over 34 minutes . It was just the second time this season that he 's reached double - digit assists . Despite suffering the loss , DeMar DeRozan had a solid performance for the Raptors , finishing with 22 points ( 9 - 18 FG , 0 - 1 3Pt , 4 - 5 FT ) and eight rebounds . He really struggled with his shot in Friday 's game against the Heat , shooting just 25 percent ( 3 - 12 FG ) from the field in that outing , so it was good to see him get things pointed back in the right direction Sunday . Jonas Valanciunas went a perfect 7 - for - 7 from the field to score 14 points , while also pulling down nine rebounds in 22 minutes . Valanciunas missed Friday 's game following the birth of his son , so it was good to see him come back without missing a beat . Struggling with his shot , Kyle Lowry ended with just 10 points ( 3 - 11 FG , 1 - 5 3Pt , 3 - 3 FT ) , but added six assists and four rebounds . He had shot a combined 17 - for - 31 from the field and 10 - for - 17 from the three - point line over his last two games , so his performance Sunday was somewhat of a disappointment . The Trail Blazers ' next game will be on the road against the Washington Wizards on Monday , while the Raptors will travel to Indiana to play the Pacers on Monday .


The Toronto Raptors ( 41 - 27 ) defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves ( 14 - 53 ) 105 - 100 on Wednesday at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto . By securing this victory , the Raptors remained within two games of the Cleveland Cavaliers , who sit in the second projected playoff seed in the Eastern Conference standings . The Cavaliers took down the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday as well , so the Raptors avoided dropping another game back with a loss . The Timberwolves have now tied the New York Knicks for the worst record in the league , so they 'll battle it out to see who will give themselves the best chance of landing the number one overall pick in this year 's draft from here on out . DeMar DeRozan really struggled with his shot in this game , going just 4 - of - 14 from the field . He made up for it at the free throw line though , as he forced his way into 12 attempts , while converting on all 12 of those attempts to push his scoring total to a team - high of 21 points . DeRozan continues to score at a very high rate , considering he 's surpassed the 20 - point mark in eight of his last nine games . Over his last 10 games , he 's now averaging 22 points , 4 rebounds and 3 assists . Jonas Valanciunas put in a good effort as well , notching a double - double with 15 points ( 7 - 9 FG , 1 - 2 FT ) and 15 rebounds in just 23 minutes . It was his second double - double in a row , as he 's combined for 29 points and 27 rebounds over his last two games . Terrence Ross was dialed in with his shot as well . He went 6 - for - 9 from the field and 3 - for - 5 from beyond the arc to score 15 points . Unfortunately for the Raptors , Kyle Lowry had to leave the game during the third quarter with what looked like a lower back injury and was not able to return . While they were unable to pull off the win , Kevin Martin had himself a game . He went 14 - for - 28 from the floor and 5 - for - 9 from the three - point line to score a game - high of 37 points , while also adding seven rebounds . He 's picked up his scoring of late with so many injuries affecting this team , as he 's averaging 18 points while shooting 45 percent from the field during his last four games . Andrew Wiggins also did his best to keep his team close . He went 6 - for - 9 from the field and 3 - for - 4 from the free throw line to score 15 points . After shooting 40 percent or lower in each of his last three games , it was good to see the forward get back on track Wednesday . Coming off the bench , Chase Budinger matched a season - high of 19 points ( 9 - 18 FG , 1 - 5 3Pt , 0 - 1 FT ) , to go along with eight rebounds . It was his second solid showing in a row , after scoring 18 points Monday . Ricky Rubio returned after missing two games , but had just two points ( 1 - 4 FG , 0 - 1 3Pt ) and eight assists in 30 minutes . The Raptors ' next game will be on the road against the Chicago Bulls on Friday , while the Timberwolves will travel to New York to play the Knicks on Thursday .


The Toronto Raptors ( 42 - 28 ) defeated the New York Knicks ( 14 - 56 ) 106 - 89 on Sunday in Toronto . The Raptors dominated the game from start to finish with DeMar DeRozan leading the way , scoring 23 points on 8 - of - 15 shooting , grabbing seven rebounds and dishing out five assists in 36 minutes . The performance marks the fifth consecutive game DeRozan has scored 20 - plus points and he has reached the threshold in all 11 games played in the month of March except one . Kyle Lowry missed his second straight game for Toronto with a back injury . In his absence Greivis Vasquez got his second straight start and scored 12 points on 5 - of - 8 shooting in 34 minutes . Jonas Valanciunas recorded a double - double of 17 points and 10 rebounds in 27 minutes , and the effort was his third double - double in four outings . Tyler Hansbrough ( 18 ) , Lou Williams ( 13 ) and Terrence Ross ( 11 ) round out the six Raptors who scored in double figures . The win leaves Toronto all alone in third place in the Eastern Conference with just a half - game lead over Chicago for that spot , and they are still three games behind the Cavaliers for second place . The Knicks continue to be the Knicks , as the loss was their third in a row and 10th in their last 12 outings , as they continue to boast the worst record in the NBA . Lance Thomas had his best game of the season , scoring 24 points on 9 - of - 12 shooting in 38 minutes . Andrea Bargnani was the only other New York player to score in double figures , posting 16 points on 6 - of - 13 shooting in 33 minutes . Up next , the Raptors will travel to Detroit on Tuesday to take on the Pistons , while New York will go up against the Grizzlies at home on Monday .


The Chicago Bulls ( 44 - 29 ) defeated the Toronto Raptors ( 42 - 30 ) 116 - 103 on Wednesday . Jimmy Butler continued his breakout season , leading the Bulls to victory with 23 points and five rebounds . Chicago also got another stellar performance from rookie Nikola Mirotic , who scored 15 points off the bench . He is having a spectacular month of March , averaging 21 points , 8 rebounds and 1 blocks a game this month . Joakim Noah returned to the Bulls after missing Mondays ' game with soreness , he had five rebounds and five assists in 28 minutes of action . Greivis Vasquez got the start at point guard for Toronto , as Kyle Lowry was forced to miss Wednesday night 's game with back spasms . Vasquez scored 22 points in 31 minutes but could n't take his team to the winner 's circle . Jonas Valunciunas was slowed down against Chicago 's solid interior defense . He scored just eight points but managed to pull down 12 rebounds . Toronto has had a rough go in March , going just 5 - 8 . The Raptors have dropped three of four games , including two against Chicago , but will continue their quest to be the fourth team to lock up a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference when they face the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday . The Bulls will host the New York Knicks on Saturday .


The Toronto Raptors ( 43 - 30 ) clinched the Atlantic Division for the second straight season with a 94 - 83 win over the Los Angeles Lakers ( 19 - 52 ) . The Lakers scored 35 second half points in coach Byron Scott 's return after missing two games for personal matters . Kyle Lowry was held out for the fourth time in five games with lingering back issues . DeMar DeRozan led the Raptors with seven assists and 10 rebounds , but he only scored six points on 1 - of - 10 shooting . Jonas Valanciunas scored a team - high 19 points in 27 minutes , and rookie Bruno Caboclo played for the second time since February 4th . Lou Williams contributed 18 points off the bench as he keeps his Sixth Man of the Year hopes alive . James Johnson , who scored 17 points the previous six contests combined , chipped in 17 points , six rebounds , three assists and two steals in 26 minutes . The Lakers have the fourth - worst record in the league and are still in danger of losing their top - 5 protected draft pick this summer . They 're two games behind the Philadelphia 76ers , the team the Lakers would convey their pick to , for third - worst record . Ed Davis was the only Laker to shoot at least 50 percent from the floor . The team shot 34 percent overall and 4 - of - 17 from downtown . Jeremy Lin , questionable heading into tipoff , scored a team - high 18 points in 36 minutes . Rookie Jordan Clarkson was the only other Laker to score in double figures , notching 14 points in 33 minutes . Wesley Johnson and Wayne Ellington combined for 15 points on 6 - of - 25 shooting . The Raptors have two days off before finishing a three - game homestand Monday against the Houston Rockets . The Lakers continue a brutal stretch of five road games in seven days when they return to American soil to face the Brooklyn Nets .


The Toronto Raptors ( 44 - 30 ) took down the Houston Rockets ( 50 - 24 ) 99 - 96 on Monday . DeMar DeRozan lit it up with 42 points in 41 minutes on 14 - for - 27 shooting to go along with 11 rebounds . He did a great job of getting himself to the free throw line , as he went 12 - of - 17 from the charity stripe . Jonas Valunciunas did n't mind not facing Dwight Howard . He finished with 15 points , nine rebounds and a whopping five blocked shots in 28 minutes in this matchup of playoff teams . Toronto ended March on a two - game win streak after they went 5 - 8 to begin the month . With Dwight Howard sitting out to rest on the second night of a back - to - back , Joey Dorsey was deployed into the starting lineup . He had seven points and four rebounds in 20 minutes of action . James Harden continued to roll in what has been his best season as an NBA player . He 's averaging 27 points , 7 assists , 6 rebounds and 2 steals a game in an MVP-caliber season . The Rockets will host the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday , as the Raptors will head to Minnesota to take on the Timberwolves .


The Boston Celtics ( 35 - 42 ) defeated the Toronto Raptors ( 45 - 32 ) in a 117 - 116 overtime thriller Saturday at the Air Canada Centre . Boston had a six point lead with under two minutes to go in the fourth , but DeMar DeRozan had eight points in the final 1:23 to send this game into overtime . The Celtics and Raptors traded baskets in the extra period , with three lead changes in the final 32 seconds . Toronto 's Louis Williams canned the go - ahead three with four seconds to go , but Marcus Smart answered with a buzzer beater to give the Celtics the win . Boston will look to tie the season series at two games apiece when they meet again April 14 . Boston gained ground on Miami and Brooklyn on Saturday after the Heat and Nets both lost . The Celtics moved ahead of the Heat for the eighth and final spot in the East with Saturday 's thrilling victory . Isaiah Thomas was a difference maker again off the bench , scoring a team - high 25 points . The Celtics have five games remaining , with three of those games coming against playoff bound teams . Boston will be off until Wednesday when they take on Detroit . Toronto dropped both games of a back - to - back set after Saturday 's loss at home . The Raptors lost those two games by six points combined . DeMar DeRozan was prolific in his 43 minutes on the floor , pouring in 38 points . Louis Williams was a big contributor off the bench with 27 points . Kyle Lowry was sidelined again with a back issue that has lingered since late March . The Raptors will be off until Wednesday as well when they travel to Charlotte to take on the Hornets .


The Toronto Raptors ( 49 - 33 ) defeated the Charlotte Hornets ( 33 - 49 ) 92 - 87 on Wednesday at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto . The Raptors came into this matchup as the projected fourth seed for the Eastern Conference playoffs , but were looking to move up into the third seed , where the Chicago Bulls currently sit . The win here puts them in position to take that spot , but only as long as the Bulls lose their matchup against the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday as well . If the Raptors finish as the fourth seed , they 'll play the Washington Wizards , but if they finish as the third seed , they 'll take on the Milwaukee Bucks . The Hornets have been eliminated from the playoffs so this loss marks an end to their season . The Raptors were the superior shooters in this game , going 49 percent from the field and 36 percent from the three - point line , while the Hornets went 42 percent from the floor and 36 percent from deep . After struggling with his shot recently , Kyle Lowry finally broke out of his slump and went off for a game - high of 26 points ( 8 - 15 FG , 6 - 9 3Pt , 4 - 4 FT ) , to go along with seven assists and three steals . He had combined to go just 13 - for - 46 from the field and 3 - for - 17 from the three - point line over his previous three games , so this was a much needed confidence booster heading into the playoffs . DeMar DeRozan had a solid showing in the win as well , posting 16 points ( 8 - 13 FG , 0 - 2 3Pt ) , six assists and two steals . He had to sit out of Tuesday 's game due to a groin injury , so it was good to see him come back and get a full games worth of work without any setbacks . Jonas Valanciunas and Terrence Ross were the other two Raptors in double figures . Valanciunas finished with 18 points ( 9 - 11 ) and five rebounds , while Ross added 13 points ( 5 - 15 FG , 3 - 13 3Pt ) and three assists . After combining to go just 3 - for - 10 from the field and 0 - for - 5 from the three - point line during Monday 's game against the Rockets , Gerald Henderson and Kemba Walker had much better performances this time around . Walker finished with 17 points ( 6 - 15 FG , 1 - 5 3Pt , 4 - 4 FT ) , four assists and three steals , while Henderson recorded 15 points ( 7 - 12 FG , 1 - 1 3Pt ) and three rebounds . Neither wanted to end their season as poorly as they played Monday , so they 'll be much happier with this performance despite taking the loss . The Hornets saw a nice contribution from their bench as well though , as Troy Daniels finished with a team - high of 24 points ( 7 - 15 FG , 6 - 13 3Pt , 4 - 4 FT ) over 29 minutes . the 24 points were a new season - high for the guard , who has received extra playing time due to the injuries that have taken a toll on this roster here at the end of the season . This marks the final regular season game for both teams .


The Houston Rockets ( 30 ) defeated the Boston Celtics ( 1 - 1 ) 104 - 90 on Saturday . Terrence Jones bounced back nicely from a subpar performance in the Rockets ' last game . He finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds in 30 minutes to record his second double - double of the season . James Harden scored a game - high 26 points in 31 minutes . Patrick Beverley sat out the game with a hamstring injury , and sophomore guard Isaiah Canaan filled in as the starting point guard , finishing with nine points and three three - pointers in 35 minutes . Jeff Green scored a team - high 17 points , and Rajon Rondo pulled down 10 rebounds , but the Celtics could n't find the hoop Saturday and shot just 38 percent from the field , including only four percent from beyond the arc . The Celtics 's next game is on the road Monday against the Dallas Mavericks . The Rockets ' next game is on the road Monday against the Philadelphia 76ers .


The Houston Rockets ( 60 ) defeated the San Antonio Spurs ( 2 - 2 ) 98 - 81 on Thursday . As he 's done several times every season over the past few years , coach Gregg Popovich opted to rest several of his players Thursday . It was a planned day of rest for Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili , and they were joined on the bench by Marco Belinelli , who injured his groin in Wednesday 's game , and Tiago Splitter , who tried to return to action Wednesday but had to leave do to a flair up of his calf issue . The Spurs were resigned to starting Tony Parker , Danny Green , Kawhi Leonard , Matt Bonner , and Aron Baynes against Dwight Howard and James Harden . Howard had his best game of the season , posting 32 points and 16 rebounds in 33 minutes . Harden put up 20 points to go with six rebounds , six assists , and three blocks in 33 minutes , doing himself well in what appears to be a season he 'll be making a bid for both the scoring championship and the MVP Award . Patrick Beverley was held out to rest his hamstring injury , and Isaiah Canaan filled in as the starting point guard , a distinction Canaan has performed well in for three of the Rockets ' last four games , where Beverley has been absent due to injury . The Spurs ' next game is at home Saturday against the New Orleans Pelicans . The Rockets will host the Golden State Warriors on Saturday .


In a battle of undefeated Western Conference teams , the Warriors ( 50 ) prevailed over the Rockets ( 6 - 1 ) 98 - 87 at the Toyota Center in Houston . Houston held an eight - point halftime advantage , but the Warriors stormed back with a strong third quarter , outscoring the Rockets 28 - 13 in the frame . Down five points entering the final period , the Rockets made an early run , as an Isaiah Canaan three - pointer tied the game with 8:27 to play . The score remained tied until Stephen Curry hit a jumper with just over six minutes remaining to put the Warriors back up two . Curry and Andrew Bogut then scored the game 's next seven points , putting Golden State ahead for good . Curry led all scorers with 34 points to go with 10 rebounds , five assists and four steals . He made 13 - of - 19 field goal attempts and went 6 - of - 9 from beyond the arc . On a night when Klay Thompson ( 3 - 16 FG , 11 points ) struggled , Andre Iguodala contributed 15 points off the bench , and Andrew Bogut chipped in eight points to go with a game - high 18 boards . The Warriors out - rebounded Houston 54 - 46 overall , though the Rockets grabbed one more offensive rebound . James Harden struggled from the field , finishing with 22 points on 8 - of - 24 shooting . Harden converted just 1 - of - 11 three - point attempts . Isaiah Canaan , starting in place of the injured Patrick Beverley , scored 21 points to go with four rebounds . Trevor Ariza added seven points ( 3 - 16 FG ) and 11 rebounds in 39 minutes . Looking ahead , the Rockets head to Minnesota to take on the Timberwolves on Wednesday . Golden State turns around and faces the Suns in Phoenix on Sunday night .


The Houston Rockets ( 8 - 1 ) took down the Philadelphia 76ers ( 0 - 9 ) 88 - 87 at the Toyota Center on Friday night . Close , but no cigar for the Philadelphia 76ers . The Sixers were looking to grab their first win of the season , and nearly did so , losing by one to the Rockets . Philadelphia got a big game from Tony Wroten with 19 points ( 7 - 16 FG , 2 - 6 3Pt , 3 - 6 FT ) to go with eight assists , four rebounds and one steal . The key for Philadelphia on Friday was simply being balanced across the board though , as 10 players scored . They rebounded the ball well and everyone did their part . Unfortunately , they could n't overcome a fourth quarter run by the Rockets , as they were outscored 25 - 19 in the final quarter . Philadelphia will get the rest of the weekend off before heading to San Antonio to take on the Spurs . The Rockets got a huge game from James Harden , as he scored 35 points ( 10 - 24 FG , 1 - 5 3Pt , 14 - 16 FT ) to go with seven assists , six rebounds , three steals and one block . He literally did everything for this team , and the Rockets only saw three players score in double figures on Friday . Dwight Howard had a nice game as well , posting a double - double with 21 points ( 9 - 14 FG , 3 - 12 FT ) and 16 rebounds . Houston has been very impressive this year , and they look like a serious contender . The Rockets will get Saturday off , and they head to Oklahoma City to take on the Thunder on Sunday .


The Los Angeles Lakers ( 3 - 9 ) defeated the Houston Rockets ( 9 - 3 ) 98 - 92 on Wednesday at the Toyota Center in Houston . The Lakers have now won two games in a row , stealing a surprising four - point victory on the road in Houston . Without Dwight Howard , who sat out with a knee injury , the Rockets did n't have their usual presence inside the lane , and were out - rebounded 47 - 38 . They also were out - scored 28 - 17 in the fourth quarter , as the Lakers closed out strong and sealed the victory . As always , the Lakers were led by their superstar Kobe Bryant . Bryant shot 10 - for - 28 from the field and a dismal 1 - for - 7 from the three - point line , but still scored 29 points , while adding seven assists . He got a boost in scoring from the free - throw line though , as he converted on 8 - of - 10 . In his second game back from a thumb injury , Nick Young was able to put up solid numbers again . He scored 16 points off the bench , as he shot 6 - for - 15 from the field and 2 - for - 8 from beyond the arc . The Lakers frontcourt of Jordan Hill and Carlos Boozer were both big in the victory , with each posting a double - double of their own . Hill had 16 points and 10 rebounds , marking his fourth double - double in as many games . Boozer finished with 12 points and 13 rebounds , as he posted his second double - double in a row . For the Rockets , James Harden posted a very efficient 24 points ( 7 - 11 FG , 2 - 3 3Pt , 8 - 10 FT ) , while also handing out seven assists . He 's now averaging 24 points , 7 rebounds and 7 assists on the year . Starting at point guard , Patrick Beverley was able to score 15 points , equaling a season - high for him . The Rockets received a big boost off the bench from Kostas Papanikolaou as well . He went 6 - for - 10 from the field and 4 - for - 7 from the three - point line to score 19 points , while also grabbing six rebounds . He 's only reached double figures in scoring twice this year , so it was a nice surprise for the Rockets . Trevor Ariza was the only other player in double - digits , as he had 13 points and seven rebounds . The Lakers ' next game will be on the road against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday , while the Rockets will be at home against the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday .


The Rockets ( 10 - 3 ) knocked off the Mavericks ( 10 - 4 ) 95 - 92 Saturday night in Houston . Houston , which led by nine entering the fourth quarter , allowed Dallas to creep back into the game but was able to close it out in the final minute . Down two with just over 30 seconds to play , James Harden made a jumper , plus the foul , to put the Rockets up 93 - 92 . Monta Ellis turned it over on the other end , and Trevor Ariza was subsequently fouled , converting both free throws to give Houston a three - point advantage . Dirk Nowitzki then missed a three - pointer , and Ellis was unable to hit on a desperation shot as time expired . Harden led the way for Houston , pouring in 32 points , eight rebounds and four assists . Patrick Beverley added 20 points , while Donatas Motiejunas had a 14 - point , 12 - rebound double - double . The Rockets were without Dwight Howard for the second straight game as he continues to nurse a strained right knee . In his absence , Houston was out - rebounded 50 - 4 . The Rockets shot just 37 percent as a team , compared to Dallas ' 40 percent and also struggled with turnovers , committing 17 , nine of which were credited to Motiejunas and Harden . Dallas had five players in double - figures , led by Ellis ' 17 points . Nowitzki added 11 , and Chandler Parsons chipped in eight points and eight rebounds . Brandan Wright had a 14 - point , 11 - rebound double - double off the bench . Up next , the Mavs host the Pacers on Monday night . Houston plays host to the Knicks , also on Monday .


The Houston Rockets ( 11 - 3 ) defeated the New York Knicks ( 4 - 11 ) 91 - 86 on Monday at the Toyota Center in Houston . With Carmelo Anthony leaving the game in the second quarter due to back spasms , the Knicks were unable to make a comeback after being down 51 - 46 at halftime . They were able to out - shoot the Rockets , as they went 46 percent from the field compared to the 42 percent of Houston , but with James Harden taking control in the final quarter , the Knicks were n't able to find an answer to steal a victory from the Rockets on the road . Harden was an absolute force on Monday . He shot a ridiculous 11 - for - 22 from the field and 7 - for - 12 from the three - point line to finish with a season - high of 36 points , while also adding six rebounds and six assists . In the past three games , Harden has now scored 92 points , as he continues to make his case for this season 's MVP award . Harden did receive a little help though . With Terrence Jones out for at least another three or four weeks , Donatas Motiejunas continued to take his place and scored 13 points ( 6 - 12 FG , 1 - 2 3Pt ) , while grabbing eight rebounds . Trevor Ariza was the only other Rocket to reach double figures in points as he finished with 10 . He seemed to struggle with his shot though , as he went only 3 - for - 10 from the field and 2 - for - 6 from the three - point line . Despite having three starters out with injury , the Rockets still secured the victory . The Knicks really struggled to find any offense with Anthony leaving during the second quarter . Despite playing only 18 minutes , Anthony led the team in points with 14 . Jose Calderon led all other starters with nine points and five assists . He shot 3 - for - 7 from the field and 1 - for - 3 from the three - point line in only his second game of the season since returning from injury . The Knicks did receive 49 points from the bench in this matchup , though spread out between many players . Travis Wear led all bench scorers with nine points ( 4 - 7 FG , 0 - 1 3Pt , 1 - 2 FT ) in 17 minutes . Amare Stoudemire , Shane Larkin , J.R. Smith and Pablo Prigioni all had eight points off the bench as well . The Rockets ' next game will be at home against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday , while the Knicks will travel to Dallas to play the Mavericks on Wednesday .


The Houston Rockets ( 12 - 3 ) defeated the Sacramento Kings ( 9 - 6 ) 102 - 89 on Wednesday at the Toyota Center in Houston . At the end of the third quarter , this was a tight game as the Rockets led by only four points . The Rockets were able to go on a run in the fourth quarter though , as they out - scored the Kings 25 - 16 to seal the victory at home . The Kings also were forced into a brutal 21 turnovers compared to only four from the Rockets , so that very well could have been the difference in this one . The Rockets were again led by their superstar James Harden . Harden was able to shoot 10 - for - 31 from the field and 2 - for - 9 from the three - point line to score 26 points , while also grabbing seven rebounds and handing out eight assists . With Patrick Beverley still sitting out with an injury , Isaiah Canaan took advantage of the start . He finished with 24 points , as he shot 9 - for - 16 from the field and 6 - for - 10 from the three - point line . Donatas Motiejunas was also in the starting lineup as an injury fill - in , with Terrence Jones sitting out . Motiejunas played well and was the third Rocket to reach the 20 - point mark as he sored 21 points ( 10 - 15 FG , 1 - 2 3Pt ) and pulled in six rebounds . Despite the victory , the Rockets ' bench did n't offer much help Wednesday , considering they only contributed 16 of the 102 points . DeMarcus Cousins continued his spectacular season Wednesday . He finished the game with 29 points and 17 rebounds . It was his eigth straight double - double and and twelth on the year . With Rudy Gay still out with an Achilles injury , Omri Casspi filled in again and socred 14 points , while also contributing seven rebounds . Ben McLemore was the only other King in double figures for scoring , as he shot 6 - for - 17 from the field and 2 - for - 9 from beyond he arc to score 14 points of his own . Ramon Sessions started in place of Darren Collison at the point , but did n't contributed much as he finished with only eight points and five turnovers . The Rockets ' next game will be at home against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday , while the Kings will travel to San Antonio to play the Spurs on Friday .


The Los Angeles Clippers ( 10 - 5 ) defeated the Houston Rockets ( 12 - 4 ) 102 - 85 on Friday . Los Angeles has won three straight games . Matt Barnes sat out their last two games with calf soreness , but he was back in the starting lineup at small forward Friday . He put up two points and five rebounds in 20 minutes . Blake Griffin paced the team with a game - high 30 points in 31 minutes . The Clippers will finish up their current seven - game road trip in Utah on Saturday against the Jazz . Houston saw their three - game win streak come to an end with this loss . The Clippers held them to 39 percent shooting from the field , and James Harden only got off 12 shot attempts in his 38 minutes . Harden finished with 16 points . Isaiah Canaan left the game with a sprained ankle in the first half and did not return . He has already been ruled out of Saturday 's game . Dwight Howard ( knee ) and Patrick Beverley ( hamstring ) did not play Friday and are doubtful for Saturday 's game against the Bucks in Milwaukee .


The Houston Rockets ( 14 - 4 ) defended their home court , knocking off the Memphis Grizzlies ( 15 - 3 ) 105 - 96 and grabbing a statement victory . The Grizzlies came into this game with a 7 - 2 road record , and look like a serious contender . The Rockets were looking to spoil that , and did so while making life tough from the outside for the Grizzlies . Memphis only saw three players score in double figures\ , but nine players scored at least seven points . Mike Conley led the way with 15 points ( 5 - 9 FG , 1 - 4 3Pt , 4 - 4 FT ) , six assists and three steals in 27 minutes . Both Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol had quiet nights , as both had eight points and managed just 13 total rebounds between the two . What made this win even more impressive for the Rockets , was the fact that they got it done without Dwight Howard . Howard was out with a strained right knee , but six players stepped up to score in double figures during his absence . James Harden led the way , scoring 21 points ( 6 - 11 FG , 2 - 5 3Pt , 7 - 8 FT ) to go with four assists , four rebounds , three steals and one block in 28 minutes . Tarik Black , who started in place of Howard , posted a double - double with 10 points ( 5 - 9 FG ) , with 11 rebounds . It was an impressive , well - rounded effort from Houston .


The Houston Rockets ( 16 - 4 ) defeated the Phoenix Suns ( 12 - 9 ) 100 - 95 on Saturday . Houston has won four straight games , finding ways to win despite being without Dwight Howard ( knee ) and Terrence Jones ( knee ) for much of the season . They did get Patrick Beverley ( hamstring ) back from a six - game absence Saturday . He came off the bench in his return , playing 27 minutes and putting up 19 points . James Harden briefly left the bench to stretch out his back . He returned with heating pads applied to his back and was able to finish the game , playing 39 minutes and finishing with 15 points and 12 rebounds . The Rockets ' next game is on the road against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday . Phoenix has dropped three of their last five games . Isaiah Thomas missed his sixth straight game , putting the onus on Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe to lead the way for the Suns . Bledsoe scored game - high 23 points , but in general , the Suns could n't buy a bucket Saturday . They shot 37 percent from the field and 25 percent from beyond the arc . Phoenix will finish off their current three - game road trip Monday against the Los Angeles Clippers .


The Houston Rockets ( 18 - 5 ) defeated the Denver Nuggets ( 10 - 13 ) 108 - 96 on Saturday . Houston has won two straight games and six of their last seven . Dwight Howard returned to action Saturday after missing the Rockets ' last 11 games with a knee injury . He was supposed to be limited to 24 minutes in the game , but Howard persevered to play 30 minutes and put up a monstrous double - double of 26 points and 13 rebounds . Joining Howard in on the fun was James Harden with a triple - double of 24 points , 10 rebounds and 10 assists in 38 minutes . The Rockets ' formidable defense held the Nuggets to just 38 percent shooting from the field . Houston will face the Nuggets again in their next game , going on the road to Denver for their game on Wednesday . Denver has lost four of their last five games as they struggle to find footing during a tough part of their schedule . Kenneth Faried came off the bench for a second straight game , with J.J. Hickson staying in the starting lineup at power forward . Denver matched up well with the Rockets on Saturday , but they simply could n't hit their shots . Even at the free - throw line , the Nuggets shot just 65 percent . Denver will begin a four - game homestead hosting the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday .


The Pelicans ( 13 - 12 ) got 30 points and 14 rebounds from Anthony Davis and knocked off the Rockets ( 19 - 6 ) 99 - 90 in Houston on Thursday . Davis shot 10 - of - 17 from the field and 10 - of - 12 from the line and added blocks to go with only one turnover in 41 minutes . Jrue Holiday added 16 points for New Orleans , while Austin Rivers , starting in place of Tyreke Evans , finished with 10 points and six assists . Ryan Anderson added 15 points off the bench , and Dante Cunningham contributed 11 ( 6 - 10 FG ) . The Pelicans trailed entering the fourth quarter but outscored Houston 34 - 22 in the final period . The Rockets were led by 17 points and 13 rebounds from Dwight Howard in his second game back from a knee injury . James Harden added 21 points but shot a miserable 8 - of - 23 from the field . He did add five assists and seven rebounds , however . Trevor Ariza finished with 10 points ( 4 - 12 FG ) and Patrick Beverley and Donatas Motiejunas each contributed nine . The Rockets shot a paltry 38 percent from the floor and just 6 - of - 25 from beyond the arc . They outscored New Orleans 48 - 38 in the paint but were out - rebounded by a two - board margin , an unusual statistic from one of the league 's better rebounding teams . Up next , the Rockets host the Hawks on Saturday . New Orleans returns home to play host to Portland , also on Saturday .


The Atlanta Hawks ( 19 - 7 ) defeated the Houston Rockets ( 19 - 7 ) 104 - 97 on Saturday . Atlanta extended their win streak to three games . Kyle Korver led the way on offense with a game - high 22 points in 38 minutes . Dennis Schroder got a second straight spot start at point guard with Jeff Teague ( hamstring ) out again . Schroder put up eight points , six rebounds and six assists in 30 minutes . The Hawks shot 51 percent from the field while holding the Rockets to 40 percent shooting from the field . Atlanta will finish up their road trip on Monday against the Dallas Mavericks . Houston has dropped two straight as they work to find a balance following Dwight Howard 's return to action . Howard has been playing great , but after the Rockets found great success during his absence , there can be an adjustment period when working a high - usage player like Howard back into the groove . Harden scored 18 points to go with a career - high 14 assists in 39 minutes . The Rockets will host the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday .


The Houston Rockets ( 20 - 7 ) defeated the Portland Trail Blazers ( 22 - 7 ) 110 - 95 on Monday . Houston put a stop to their two - game losing streak with the win . James Harden was n't going to let the Rockets lose a third straight game . He put up a game - high 44 points and seven assists in 32 minutes . Corey Brewer and Alexey Shved , acquired in a three - team trade on Friday , made their debuts with the team . Brewer put up 12 points , four rebounds , four assists and five steals in 23 minutes off the bench , while Shved put up three points in 11 minutes off the bench . The Rockets will go on the road Friday to take on the Grizzlies in Memphis . Portland saw their five - game winning streak come to an end with the loss . LaMarcus Aldridge sat out the game with an illness , thrusting Meyers Leonard into the starting lineup at power forward . Robin Lopez ( hand ) will remain out for about seven more weeks , so the Trail Blazers were running out their backup frontcourt of Leonard and Joel Freeland . Leonard finished with 13 points and four rebounds in 32 minutes . He even converted three three - pointers , showing off the new skill he developed in the offseason . With the game out of reach for most of the second half , coach Terry Stotts gave extra minutes to his bench . C.J . McCollum put on a show with 17 points and three steals in 27 minutes . Portland is on a back - to - back set , they 'll play the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday .


The Washington Wizards ( 22 - 8 ) defeated the Houston Rockets ( 21 - 9 ) 104 - 103 on Monday at the Toyota Center in Houston . Despite out - scoring the Wizards 36 - 26 , marked by a big late quarter run , the Rockets just ran out of time and were n't able to complete the comeback to get the victory in front of their home fans . Free throws may have been the difference in this one , with the Wizards converting on 26 - of - 28 , while the Rockets only hit 14 - of - 23 from the line . The Wizards victory was largely the result of an outstanding performance from Bradley Beal . Beal went 9 - for - 17 from the field and 5 - for - 11 from the three - point line to score a season - high of 33 points . He was able to get to the line at will , converting on a perfect 10 - of - 10 on his free throws . It was a nice breakout performance for him , as he 's averaged 15 points thus far this season . Another solid contributor was Paul Pierce who had an efficient 21 points , where he went 7 - for - 9 from the floor and 6 - for - 6 from the free throw line . He 's bumped up his scoring the last few games , combining for 38 points over that span . John Wall did n't have his best shooting performance ( 4 - 10 FG , 0 - 1 3Pt ) , but he still finished with 13 points and was able to add 12 assists , giving him a double - double . The Wizards ' bench had only 16 points in the win . Continuing to perform with MVP-like numbers , James Harden again had a strong showing . He matched a game - high with 33 points , while also contributing six rebounds and four assists . He 's been unstoppable the past two weeks , as he 's averaging an incredible 34 points per game over his last four outings . Providing Harden some help was Trevor Ariza , who scored 15 points ( 6 - 15 FG , 2 - 8 3Pt , 1 - 1 FT ) and recorded five rebounds . After a poor showing on Sunday , it was good to see him turn things around . Also , in his second impressive performance in a row , Corey Brewer came off the bench for 15 points ( 5 - 13 FG , 2 - 5 3Pt , 3 - 4 FT ) and two steals . Although he did n't reach the 25 - point mark like he did Sunday , he continued to be a nice spark off the bench since being aquired a little over a week ago from the Minnesota Timberwolves . The Wizards ' next game will be on the road against the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday , while the Rockets will be at home against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday .


The Houston Rockets ( 22 - 9 ) defeated the Charlotte Hornets ( 10 - 23 ) 102 - 83 on Wednesday . Houston snapped their two - game losing streak with the win . Josh Smith continues to struggle with his shot since moving into the starting lineup three games ago , but he had a productive night in other categories , finishing with a line of five points , four rebounds , three assists , three steals and three blocks in 28 minutes . The Rockets had a poor showing on offense Wednesday . It was their defense that got the win . They held the Hornets to 38 percent shooting from the field and 17 percent from beyond the arc . Houston will go on the road to face the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday . Charlotte has lost four straight , and with Al Jefferson ( groin ) expected to miss at least the next four weeks , it 's getting hard to find reasons to think the Hornets could climb back into the playoff conversation this season . Lance Stephenson ( pelvic ) has started to do some work in practice but is n't considered too close to returning . Most of Charlotte 's options in the frontcourt right now are underwhelming , but Michael Kidd-Gilchrist showed up well Wednesday with 16 points and eight rebounds in 28 minutes . They 'll return home to host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday .


The Houston Rockets ( 23 - 10 ) defeated the Miami Heat ( 14 - 20 ) 115 - 79 on Saturday . Houston got back on track with the big win after trudging through three losses over their previous four games . Josh Smith was in the starting lineup for their recent poor stretch , and coach Kevin McHale moved Smith back to a bench role Saturday , allowing the team to go back to the lineup they had success with before Smith was signed . Donatas Motiejunas reclaimed his starting spot at power forward and put up 12 points and three assists in 27 minutes . Smith finished with 12 points and seven rebounds in 28 minutes off the bench . James Harden scored a game - high 28 points in just 28 minutes . Houston will begin a three - game road trip against the Chicago Bulls on Monday . Miami has lost four straight games , but it 's difficult to see why the team is struggling . Chris Bosh has been back in the active lineup for the last three games , though his return has n't helped the team secure more wins in the short term . The Heat gave up 22 points on 22 turnovers , were out - rebounded 46 - 33 and shot just 24 percent from beyond the arc , putting themselves out of contention Saturday . They 'll return home to take on the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday .


The Houston Rockets ( 26 - 11 ) cruised during Saturday 's 97 - 82 victory against the Utah Jazz ( 13 - 25 ) . Houston entered the contest with a previously - unknown quandary , but Dwight Howard brushed aside a minor knee injury to earn a game - high 37 minutes . While his double - double streak ended at four outings , he still managed to tally eight points , eight rebounds , one block , and one assist . The bulk of the offense came from a familiar source , James Harden , who recorded his 15th 30 - point game of the season to uphold his status as the NBA 's leading scorer . By drilling four of the Rockets ' 13 three - pointers , he 's now hit multiple treys in five consecutive contests - - and 28 of 37 games this season - - en route to 27 points per outing . Even Donatas Motiejunas got in on the act , knocking down one trey , but more important was his third double - double of 2014 - 15 ( 14 points , 10 boards , and three steals in 36 minutes ) . On Monday , the Rockets return to the East Coast to take on the Brooklyn Nets , with an eye on extending their winning streak to four games . After Wednesday 's impressive win in Chicago , the Jazz have suffered back - to - back defeats , and the primary culprit has been a combined 47 turnovers , including 27 on Saturday . On a positive note , the frontcourt welcomed back Enes Kanter following a four - game absence due to a sprained ankle , and the big man responded with 16 points , six rebounds , and one steal in only 21 minutes . The presence of Kanter did n't push Rudy Gobert back to the bench ( yet ) . However , the Frenchman upheld his workload from Kanter 's stay on the sideline , racking up four points , five boards , three assists , three blocks , and one steal in 35 minutes . By the final horn , the Jazz had shot merely 41 percent from the field , but no one contributed to the mark more than Gordon Hayward , who put up an ordinary nine points on 2 - for - 10 shooting . Upon returning to Utah , the Jazz will attempt to press the reset button in their next outing , Tuesday versus the Golden State Warriors .


The Houston Rockets ( 28 - 12 ) defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder ( 18 - 20 ) on Thursday 112 - 10 in a game that was n't nearly as close as the score might indicate . Houston got out to a fast start , taking a commanding 44 - 18 lead by the 11 - minute mark in the second quarter . The Thunder cut the Rockets ' lead to 10 early in the fourth , but Houston answered with a 120 run to effectively close out Oklahoma City . Houston ended the game shooting 47 % from the floor , but was shooting above 50 % for much of the contest . Oklahoma City came out flat after a long rest , having last played on Friday against Utah . Things wo n't get much easier for the Thunder , who host the Warriors on Friday before going on a five - game road trip next week against the likes of the Wizards and Hawks . Oklahoma City is now three and a half games behind Phoenix for the eighth seed in the West . Houston has now won both games against Oklahoma City this season , although Thursday 's contest was drastically different than the 69 - 65 game in November where both teams shot under 30 % from the floor . Point guard Patrick Beverley , who suffered a knee contusion Wednesday , was able to play 32 minutes and finished with 13 points and five rebounds . James Harden finished one rebound shy of a triple - double as he dropped 31 points , 10 assists , and nine rebounds on the Thunder . Houston will host Golden State on Saturday .


The Golden State Warriors ( 32 - 6 ) blew out the Houston Rockets ( 28 - 13 ) by a score of 131 - 106 on Saturday . The Warriors led by just five points at halftime but opened a commanding 22 - point lead heading into the fourth quarter . Golden State shot 54 % from the field as the Warriors cruised to another easy victory . Golden State bounced back from a tough loss Friday in Oklahoma City to beat a Rockets team that beat that same team 112 - 101 the previous night . Steph Curry and Klay Thompson scored 27 points apiece . Andrew Bogut returned to the starting lineup but managed just two points in 20 minutes on the floor . The Warriors will return home on Monday to host the Nuggets . Houston has now dropped all three of its games against Golden State this season . James Harden was held in check on Saturday as he managed just 12 points on 4 - for - 15 shooting . The Rockets will look to bounce back from this loss on Monday when they take on the Pacers . These two teams will meet again on Wednesday to finish the season series .


The Houston Rockets ( 29 - 13 ) defeated the Indiana Pacers ( 15 - 27 ) 110 - 98 on Monday at the Toyota Center . The Rockets were led by a huge performance from James Harden , who lit up the Pacers for his fourth 40 - point game of the season . Harden finished the game with a season - high 45 points , shooting 12 - of - 18 from the floor , 7 - of - 12 from beyond the arc , and 14 - of - 15 from the line . The MVP candidate also added seven assists and four steals . Indiana 's struggles continued Monday as it lost its fifth straight game . George Hill was out yet again , marking his tenth consecutive absence . The Pacers have three more games left on their five - game road trip , with the next contest coming Wednesday against the Hawks . Houston rebounded nicely after being trounced by Golden State on Saturday . The Rockets are right in the mix for the third seed in the West , trailing the Grizzlies by just one game after Memphis fell at home to Dallas on Monday . Houston will have a chance to avenge its 25 - point defeat at the hands of the Warriors when they square off Wednesday night in Oakland .


The Houston Rockets ( 32 - 14 ) defeated the Dallas Mavericks ( 30 - 17 ) 99 - 94 on Wednesday . Dwight Howard sat out his second - straight game with a sprained ankle . Joey Dorsey stepped in for Howard at the starting center position , but played just 13 minutes and failed to score . Josh Smith led the Rockets with 18 points , as he hit 4 - of - 5 shots from beyond the arc . James Harden continued his magnificent season Wednesday . He scored 17 points on 7 - of - 14 shooting from the field . In Harden 's four games prior to Wednesday , he has scored 33 points or more , including a 45 - point explosion on Jan. 19 against the Pacers . He has been contributing across the board this season , averaging 28 points , 7 assists , 6 rebounds , 2 steals and 1 blocks a game in his campaign for MVP . Monta Ellis led the Mavericks with 33 points . Chandler Parsons and Dirk Nowitzki combined for 35 points on 7 - of - 12 shooting from beyond the three - point line . Al-Farouq Aminu had a nice game off the bench . Aminu blocked six shots and had three steals in an impressive defensive performance . Rajon Rondo is n't known for his scoring and that was apparent Wednesday night , as he went 0 - for - 7 from the field and failed to score a point for the first time since becoming a Maverick . Rondo is averaging 9 points , 5 rebounds and 7 assists in January for Dallas , who has now lost four - straight games . Dallas will travel to Miami to take on the Heat on Friday , and the Rockets will head to Boston to face the Celtics on Friday .


The Houston Rockets defeated the Chicago Bulls 101 - 90 on Wednesday at the Toyota Center in Houston . The Rockets were the superior shooters in this one , going 41 percent from the field , while the Bulls went just 35 percent . The Bulls were able to out - rebound the Rockets 60 - 47 , but they were forced into 13 turnovers , compared to only six from the Rockets . The Bulls have now lost three straight . Like he 's done all season , James Harden led the Rockets in this one , finishing with a team - high 27 points ( 9 - 20 FG , 3 - 5 3Pt , 6 - 6 FT ) , to go along with four assists and two blocked shots . He 's now had two impressive games in a row , combining for 53 points , 10 rebounds and 13 assists . Trevor Ariza was dialed in with his shot , going 7 - for - 10 from the field and 3 - for - 5 from the three - point line to score 20 points , while also adding five rebounds and two steals . He 's combined to go 13 - for - 25 from the field and 6 - for - 12 from the three - point line over his last two games , as he 'll look to continue with his hot shooting moving forward . Recording his second double - double in his last three games , Donatas Motiejunas posted 15 points ( 7 - 15 FG , 0 - 3 3Pt , 1 - 2 FT ) and 10 rebounds in 31 minutes . In those last three games he 's averaging 21 points and 9 rebounds as he 's turned it on a bit . Both Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose did everything they could to keep the Bulls in this game . Butler went 9 - for - 18 from the field and 3 - for - 5 from the three - point line to record 27 points , while also adding six rebounds . He 's combined for 49 points and 13 rebounds over his last two games , pushing his season averages to 21 points and six rebounds per game . Rose on the other hand recorded 23 points ( 9 - 22 FG , 2 - 9 3Pt , 3 - 4 FT ) , four rebounds and two assists . It was his second straight night posting 23 points . Both Taj Gibson and Pau Gasol posted double - doubles . Gibson had 12 points ( 4 - 9 FG , 4 - 6 FT ) and 10 rebounds , while Gasol finished with 16 points ( 5 - 10 FG , 6 - 7 FT ) and 12 rebounds . Joakim Noah had an awful game offensively ( 0 - 8 FG , 0 - 1 3Pt ) , posting one point , but he did grab 19 rebounds as he was a force on the boards . The Rockets ' next game will be at home against the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday , while the Bulls will travel to New Orleans to play the Pelicans on Saturday .


The Rockets ( 35 - 15 ) held on to defeat the Bucks ( 27 - 23 ) 117 - 111 in Houston on Friday night . Houston was on fire from downtown , knocking down 15 three - pointers on the night en route to 51 percent shooting as a team . The Rockets jumped out to a 36 - 23 first quarter advantage , and the lead stood at 12 points at the half . While the Bucks would battle back in the second half , the lead never fell below four points . Milwaukee had multiple open looks down the stretch but was simply unable to convert . The loss snapped a season - high five - game winning streak . Houston , which remains without Dwight Howard , was led by 22 points and five assists from James Harden , who hit three three - pointers on the night . Trevor Ariza added 24 points , including six threes , and Donatas Motiejunas finished with 14 points in 26 minutes . Three players scored in double - figures off the bench , led by 14 points , 10 rebounds and eight assists from Josh Smith . The Bucks also shot it well from the field , converting at a 50 percent clip . However , they connected on only 4 - of - 17 three - point attempts and attempted just 15 free throws . After scoring a career - best 25 points in Wednesday 's win over the Lakers , Giannis Antetokounmpo set a new career high with 27 points to go with 15 rebounds and four assists . Antetokounmpo was 11 - of - 16 from the floor and 5 - of - 6 from the line . John Henson and Brandon Knight added 12 points apiece for Milwaukee , and Knight also chipped in 11 assists . The bench unit was led by 13 points from both Jorge Gutierrez and Jerryd Bayless , while O.J . Mayo finished with 11 to go with a pair of assists . The Bucks now return home to host the Celtics on Saturday night . Houston remains home and will face the Trail Blazers on Sunday evening .


The Portland Trail Blazers ( 35 - 17 ) defeated the Houston Rockets ( 35 - 16 ) 109 - 98 on Sunday . After voicing his displeasure regarding being looked over for an All-Star spot , Damian Lillard was the beneficiary of the Clippers ' Blake Griffin having to undergo surgery for a staph infection , and Lillard will now be headed to the All-Star Game in Griffin 's stead . Lillard celebrated with an efficient 23 points on 6 - of - 10 shooting from the field and 10 - of - 11 from the line . He struggled with his shot over the last couple weeks , so it 's possible the announcement that he 'll be an All-Star could have relaxed Lillard . Meyers Leonard put up a nice game off the bench , scoring 12 points and pulling down six rebounds in just 15 minutes , while showing off his range on 2 - of - 4 three - point attempts . The win helped the Trail Blazers secure a third victory in their last four games , with their lone loss coming to the Mavericks on Saturday . Portland lost five of their final six games at the end of January , but their recent play has assuaged most concerns about that rough stretch . James Harden is like the Katniss Everdeen of the NBA ; he 's on fire . On Sunday , he scored a game - high 45 points for his fifth 40 - point game of the season . He got some help from Josh Smith , with Smith hitting a career - high four three - pointers for the third time in the last six games , showing off what may be an improved jumper thanks to the Rockets ' coaching . Donatas Motiejunas was the only other Rockets player to finish with double - digit points as the team shot a poor 38 percent from the field and 68 percent from the free - throw line . Despite the loss , the Rockets have won six of the eight games they 've played since Dwight Howard went down with his most recent knee injury , proving that they can continue to win even without Howard . They 'll play the Suns in Phoenix on Tuesday . The Trail Blazers will return home to host the Lakers on Wednesday .


The Toronto Raptors ( 37 - 18 ) were unable to sustain the momentum from Friday 's win over the Hawks as they were soundly defeated by the Houston Rockets ( 37 - 18 ) Saturday by a final score of 98 - 76 . It was a surprisingly low scoring contest for two of the top scoring teams in the league through three quarters as the Rockets led the Raptors 68 - 53 heading into the fourth . Houston held Toronto to a paltry 33 percent shooting percentage from the field as it cruised to an easy victory . Toronto came into Saturday 's contest on the heels of a 105 - 80 thrashing of the Hawks in Atlanta on Friday , but came out flat . The Raptors were missing Lou Williams for this game as he was sidelined with a sprained left ankle . Toronto now holds a 3 game lead over Chicago for the second seed in the East . The Raptors will return to the floor Monday to take on the Pelicans . Houston shook off a 111 - 100 loss to Dallas on Friday to notch its 37th win of the season thanks in part to a big game from Corey Brewer . On a night where just two Rockets starters scored in double - figures , Brewer poured in a team - high 26 points in 35 minutes off the bench . Recently acquired K.J McDaniels and Pablo Prigioni made their Rockets debuts in this game , each going scoreless in four minutes of playing time . The Rockets are idle Sunday before hosting the Timberwolves on Monday .