The Toronto Raptors ( 18 - 12 ) defeated the Dallas Mavericks ( 15 - 13 ) 103 - 99 on Tuesday night . The Raptors had a big lead early in the fourth quarter and nearly blew it against the Dallas backups . They were able to hold them off , but it was an ugly sight for Toronto fans as they nearly let a 16 - point fourth quarter lead slip away . A win is a win though and the defense was key . The Raptors outrebounded the Mavericks 53 - 34 and held them to just 35 percent shooting through the first three and a half quarters . The starters dominated this game all - around , as only one bench player scored in double - figures for both teams . The Mavericks were bad for most of the game tonight and played well for only 18 minutes . They shot 11 - for - 17 in a 31 - point third quarter , but shot under 42 percent aside from that . The bench players came in for the last six minutes and nearly brought them back from a double - digit deficit , but could n't quite make up for the starters poor play . While The Mavericks did win the turnover battle 17 - 6 , they were killed on the boards . Dirk Nowitzki played just 28 minutes , but tallied 20 points and seven rebounds . Deron Williams left this game in the third with a hamstring injury and that really hurt the team down the stretch . The starters got a nice rest in the final quarter and that should be beneficial for Wednesday 's game against the Brooklyn Nets . All the talk in Toronto has been about their bad starts , but that was n't the problem on Tuesday . They actually ended the first quarter up 32 - 16 and had trouble closing this one out . That 's usually the opposite , as they have one of the best second half differentials in the NBA this season . All the starters played well , as four of them scored at least 15 points with Bismack Biyombo scoring just nine . Biyombo was the star of the night though , as he snatched a career - high 20 rebounds en route to his fifth - straight 13 - plus rebound game . DeMar DeRozan led all scorers with 28 points in the victory . Toronto will have a few days off until they play the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday .


The Toronto Raptors ( 20 - 13 ) defeated the Washington Wizards ( 14 - 16 ) 94 - 91 on Wednesday . The Wizards have considerably struggled throughout the season defending opposing shooting guards . This surprisingly held true when Bradley Beal , who has a good reputation on the defensive side of the ball , was healthy , and has persisted while he 's been sidelined over the last two - plus weeks with a lower leg problem . The deficiency reared its ugly head again Wednesday against one of the top two - guards in the NBA . DeMar DeRozan led all scorers with 34 points , and added six rebounds , five assists , two steals and two blocks . He drained 17 of those in the first half , a total that partially consisted of a perfect 8 - for - 8 performance at the free - throw line . He preserved the pristine effort from the charity stripe in the second half , finishing 15 - for - 15 for the game . The visitors were led by Otto Porter , Jr. , who tallied 20 points , nine rebounds and a pair of assists , his second straight 20 - point - plus outing . John Wall followed with yet another double - double , managing 19 points and adding 11 assists . He also produced seven rebounds , five steals and a block in a terrific all - around effort . It was Wall 's seventh straight double - double , as he continued his stellar play during Beal 's extended absence . Jared Dudley ( 17 points ) and Marcin Gortat ( 12 points , nine rebounds ) also made solid contributions , while Ramon Sessions was highly efficient in pacing the Wizards bench with 11 points , seven rebounds and four assists . The Wizards dropped to 14 - 16 and remain in last place in the Eastern Conference 's Southeast Division . They will head home to face the Orlando Magic on New Year 's Day . With respect to the Raptors starters , it was essentially DeRozan and not a whole lot else . Kyle Lowry ( 11 point , six assists , three rebounds , two steals ) was the only other front - line player that amassed double - digit scoring , while Terrence Ross and Bismack Biyombo were both outstanding off the bench . Ross collected 14 points and six rebounds while Biyombo produced a double - double in his first game back in a reserve role , tallying 12 points and hauling in 12 boards . The man that he 'd been replacing while he healed from a broken hand , Jonas Valanciunas , posted eight points and nine rebounds . The Raptors improved to 20 - 13 and continue atop the Eastern Conference 's Atlantic Division . They remain home for a New Year 's Day showdown against the Charlotte Hornets .


The Toronto Raptors ( 21 - 13 ) outscored their opponents 30 - 12 in the fourth , defeating the Charlotte Hornets ( 17 - 15 ) 104 - 94 . The division - leading Raptors continue to rise in the standings following the win over the Hornets . Per usual , the victory was led by the All-Star backcourt of Kyle Lowry ( 18 points , 11 assists , five rebounds ) and DeMar DeRozan ( 23 points ) . The pair contributed heavily to Toronto 's impressive 17 - for - 18 free - throw shooting night , combining to knock down 11 - of - 11 at the line . The Raps also saw a big double - double from recently - returned center Jonas Valancianus , who tallied 10 points and 13 rebounds on the night . Despite a surprisingly hot start to the season , the Hornets have come back down to Earth and are now just 7 - 8 in the month of December . The weak stretch was made even tougher to swallow by the loss of center Al Jefferson ( knee ) , who will be out for approximately six weeks with a torn meniscus . Even in the face of a loss , point guard Kemba Walker had a typically strong showing , pouring in 18 points and also recording four steals on the night . Toronto 's homestand will continue on Sunday as they take on the Bulls in an afternoon contest . Charlotte , meanwhile , will be forced to take on the powerhouse Thunder in the second half of a back - to - back on Saturday .


The Chicago Bulls ( 20 - 12 ) fought to the end for a 115 - 113 victory over the host Toronto Raptors ( 21 - 14 ) , on Sunday afternoon . This was the second match up in a week between the Bulls and Raptors . Chicago won the last game as well and have now won their last seven versus the Raptors . With this win the Bulls have also extended their current win streak to four . Toronto was up 103 - 91 with six minutes left in the game , it was from then on that the Bulls went on a 24 - 10 run to steal the road win . Jimmy Butler hit a huge three with the defense right in his face , which put the Bulls up by one with 30 seconds left . The Raptors were not able to hit a counter - punch , missing three straight shots , while Chicago faired well enough from the foul line in the last seconds to stay on top . Jimmy Butler led the Bulls with a monstrous 42 points on very solid 15 - 23 shooting from the field ( 2 - 3 3Pt , 10 - 11 FT ) . Butler also logged five assists , four rebounds , one steal and one block , in 38 minutes . Pau Gasol had a very strong performance , finishing with 19 points ( 7 - 16 FG , 5 - 6 FT ) , 13 rebounds , six assists and four blocked shots , in 33 minutes . Nikola Mirotic chipped in 17 points ( 4 - 9 FG , 3 - 6 3Pt , 6 - 6 FT ) , three rebounds and one assist , in 28 minutes . The Bulls as a team shot very well , going 51 percent from the field , 88 percent from the foul - line and 42 percent from distance . Derrick Rose sat this one out with a sore hamstring , while Joakim Noah remained out with a shoulder injury . Toronto was led by guard - combo Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan , who combined for 46 points on the game . Lowry finished with a full stat - line , including 22 points , 10 assists , five rebounds , one steal and one blocked shot , in 39 minutes . DeRozan led the Raptors in scoring with 24 points on 7 - 17 shooting from the field ( 3 - 6 3PT , 7 - 8 FT ) , in 35 minutes . Luis Scola was the third prong of the Raptors attack , as he finished with 22 points ( 9 - 17 FG , 2 - 2 3PT , 2 - 3 FT ) , along with five rebounds , two assists , two steals and one block , in 27 minutes . The Raptors will be right back in action on Monday as they begin a five - game road trip in Cleveland . This will be an important stretch for Toronto if they want to establish themselves at the top of the East . Meanwhile , the Bulls will be back in action on Tuesday , when they host Milwaukee .


The Toronto Raptors ( 26 - 15 ) used a big fourth quarter to hold home court Monday night against the Brooklyn Nets ( 11 - 31 ) at Air Canada Centre , Toronto trailed by three entering the fourth quarter the game remained tight until the final six minutes , when the Raptors defense clamped down on the Nets . After tying the game at 98 - 98 with 6:11 to go in the game , the Nets went ice cold and did n't score for the next 4:33 . By then , the Raptors had rattled off 14 straight points and had sealed the victory . Kyle Lowry caught fire , as he shot 10 - 13 from the floor and a ludicrous 7 - 9 from three - point land to finish with 31 points to go with eight assists and three steals . DeMar DeRozan scored 30 ( 12 - 25 shooting ) and added five assists as part of Toronto 's one - two punch . Toronto shot over 50 percent from the field ( 43 - 85 ) and three - point land ( 13 - 24 ) and the offensive onslaught was too much for the Nets to bear . Brook Lopez dominated inside as he led the Nets with 29 points ( 13 - 22 shooting ) , 10 rebounds and a pair of blocked shots . Joe Johnson had a hot shooting night ( 9 - 12 FG , 3 - 4 3PT ) and chipped in 22 points and seven assists . The Nets shot well inside ( 55 percent on two - point shots ) but made just five three - pointers compared to Toronto 's 13 . The Raptors draw the Celtics on Wednesday as they continue a homestand against Eastern Conference opponents . The Nets return home for a Wednesday date against Cleveland .


The Toronto Raptors ( 27 - 15 ) defeated the Boston Celtics ( 22 - 21 ) 115 - 109 in a game full of momentum swings Wednesday night . In a battle between two stout defenses , guarding your opponent became an optional aspect of this game . Not only did both teams shoot over 50 percent from the field , both squads nearly reached the century mark to start the fourth quarter . The two teams defensive natures took over after that though , as they combined for just 38 points in the final 12 minutes . It was truly a game of swings and that 's evident by the box score . The Raptors won the first quarter 35 - 27 and the third quarter 40 - 28 . The only reason the Celtics hung around is because they won the second quarter 35 - 21 . Those are just bizarre scores from quarter - to - quarter and both coaches must 've needed heavy doses of Ibuprofen after a game like this . The starting units are what made the difference for the Raptors , as they outscored the Celtics starting - five 90 - 62 . This result is indicative of where this Celtics team is right now , as they are on the border of being a contender , but have n't quite hurdled over that hump yet . Isaiah Thomas has been the teams best player this season and while he had the best night of any Boston player on Wednesday , he made two crucial turnovers late that ultimately helped the Raptors get their win . With that said , those were his only two turnovers on the night while recording a 21 - point 10 - assist double - double . The second - unit was spectacular for Boston tonight and single - handedly kept them in the game , as Kelly Olynyk , Marcus Smart and Evan Tuner all had at least six points , four rebounds and four assists in the defeat with Olynyk leading the group by dropping 18 points . This was still a good showing from this Boston team and they continue to battle elite teams in difficult environments . Up next for the Celtics is another tough task against the Chicago Bulls on Friday . Toronto has quietly been taking care of business over recent weeks and they now sit in the two - seed in the East at the midpoint of the year . Much of that has to be credited to DeMar DeRozan , who had yet another great game here . DeRozan finished with 34 points and six assists while hitting some daggers in the final minutes to cap off the win . Jonas Valanciunas also had an impressive outing , as he went 9 - for - 9 from the field to accumulate 19 points and 12 rebounds in the win . Luis Scola also put in an 18 - point , five - rebound line and he 's been a darkhorse hero for this team all season . Toronto will look to keep the momentum going on Friday in their next game against the reeling Miami Heat .


The Toronto Raptors ( 28 - 15 ) held onto second place in the turbulent Eastern Conference with a 101 - 81 home win over the Miami Heat ( 23 - 21 ) on Friday . Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry earned starting All-Star honors this week , joining his opponent , Miami guard Dwyane Wade , in the Eastern Conference backcourt . Lowry filled the stat sheet on Friday , delivering 15 points , four rebounds , six assists , a pair of steals , and a block . It was his fellow guard DeMar DeRozan , however , that made the biggest splash , lighting up the Heat defense for 33 points . The Raptors were red - hot from behind the three - point arc , shooting 52 percent on attempts from deep . Miami , meanwhile , hit just 4 of 17 attempts from beyond the arc . Wade recorded 22 points while fellow star Chris Bosh posted 26 , but no other Miami player reached double - digits . The Heat bench contributed just 12 points , and outside of Wade and Bosh , the team shot a paltry 33 percent from the field . Center Hassan Whiteside , who has taken to social media to make a fierce All-Star campaign , was absent from Friday 's contest due to a strained left hip . Miami will have two days of rest before traveling to Chicago on Monday . Meanwhile , Toronto plays host to the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday afternoon .


The Toronto Raptors ( 29 - 15 ) recorded their eighth consecutive win Sunday with a 112 - 94 victory against the visiting Los Angeles Clippers ( 28 - 16 ) . Seven Raptors scored in double figures , led by Kyle Lowry 's 21 points , as Toronto moved to within one game of matching its franchise - long winning streak set in 2001 - 2 . Jonas Valanciunas added 20 and DeMar DeRozan had 18 points . Terrence Ross matched the latter with 18 off the bench as Toronto 's resevers came up big . Corey Joseph had 12 points while Patrick Patterson and Bismack Biyombo both scored 10 . Ross was 5 of 7 from three - point range to pace the reserves , who outscored the Clippers ' bench , 51 - 29 . The Raptors , who also took two games this season from the Lakers , swept the season season series from the Clippers , marking the first time in franchise history they have swept both Los Angeles teams in a season . Chris Paul totaled 23 points and 11 assists to lead the Clippers , who jumped to a 13 - point first - quarter advantage before faltering . DeAndre Jordan finished with 15 points and 13 rebounds while JJ Redick added 17 points . The Clippers ' bench , though , could n't match Toronto 's as the resevers were held to 39 percent shooting from the field , including 2 of 10 from three - point range .


The Toronto Raptors ( 30 - 15 ) defeated the Washington Wizards ( 20 - 23 ) 106 - 89 on Tuesday for their ninth consecutive victory . The Raptors used the same recipe they always do , as they relied on their backcourt and defense to carry them . Outside of a 32 - point second quarter , the Wizards could only amass 57 points in the other three quarters and never scored more than 20 in any individual one . The second half was especially tough , as Washington scored only 39 point while shooting just 32 percent from the field . The rebounding was huge for Toronto as well , as they snatched down 48 rebounds to the Wizards 35 . Washington has now had two dud performances in a row , which is quite concerning considering they appeared to be turning things around just last week . They had to play this game without Bradley Beal again , as he recovers from a facial injury and potential concussion . John Wall did all he could here , as he scored 18 points and dished out 14 assists in a great game . Otto Porter also had a good game , as he tallied 15 points , eight rebounds and four steals in an effort - filled outing . Up next for the Wizards is the Denver Nuggets on Thursday at Verizon Center . Kyle Lowry led the Raptors with 29 points , four rebounds and four assists , but left the game late in the fourth quarter , while throbbing in pain with what appeared to be a wrist injury . DeMar DeRozan totaled 17 points , four rebounds and four assists . Toronto will look to get its winning streak to double - digits on Thursday when it plays host to the New York Knicks in what 's usually a competitive matchup .


The Toronto Raptors ( 31 - 15 ) picked up a win over their division rival New York Knicks ( 22 - 26 ) Thursday night at Air Canada Centre , 103 - 93 . The Raptors led for the entirety of the final three quarters as the Knicks were playing shorthanded without Kristaps Porzingis ( illness ) and Carmelo Anthony ( knee ) in uniform . The lack of depth showed , as every member of the Knicks bench was forced to play at least nine minutes , with Derrick Williams , Sasha Vujacic and Jerami Grant all forced on the court for at least 24 minutes . Raptors guards DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry took advantage of the Knicks ' thin lineup , as they tied for the game high with 26 points apiece . Lowry was the real engine for the Raptors offense , as he also dished out 10 assists and grabbed six rebounds ( three offensive ) . Jonas Valancunius scored 11 points on a poor shooting night ( 4 - 16 ) but was a beast on the glass , as he grabbed 18 rebounds ( eight offensive ) . Arron Afflalo led the Knicks with 20 points on 7 - 17 shooting , as he sunk all three three - pointers he attempted . Langston Galloway was the only other starter to go over double - digits . Reserves Grant and Vujacic scored 13 points apiece , and Grant filled up the box score with six assists , four rebounds , and two steals . Despite being undermanned , the Knicks would have had a chance had they hit their free throws - - they finished 10 - 20 at the free throw line in a 10 - point loss . The Knicks will return home for a matchup Friday against the Suns . The Raptors continue their homestand Saturday against Detroit .


The Toronto Raptors ( 32 - 15 ) defeated the visiting Detroit Pistons ( 25 - 23 ) 111 - 107 , on Saturday at Air Canada Center . This was the first match up of the season between these two teams . The streaking Raptors led the entire game and were up by 20 points with only six minutes left in the fourth quarter but the Pistons battled back to bring it to a four - point difference with five seconds left . However , a couple of clutch free throws by DeMar DeRozan allowed the Raptors to enjoy a franchise - best 11th straight win . This was the last of a seven - game home stand for the Raptors . They are now 18 - 6 at home this season . Detroit had the unfortunate task of playing this game on the second night of a back to back , after a tough loss in Cleveland Friday night . Detroit has now lost two in a row . DeMar DeRozan continued his high level of play as he finished with a game - high 29 points ( 10 - 21 FG , 9 - 10 FT ) , along with four assists , three rebounds and two steals , in 33 minutes . Kyle Lowry struggled shooting but added 18 points ( 4 - 15 FG , 1 - 5 3Pt , 9 - 12 FT ) , eight rebounds and three steals , in 39 minutes . Bismack Biyombo was huge in 21 minutes off the bench , as he tallied a double - double with 12 points and 13 rebounds , along with three blocked shots . Detroit had seven players score in double digits as all hands were on deck , trying to grind out this second game in as many nights . Brandon Jennings gave the Pistons a lift off the bench and was a big part of their late - game comeback . Jennings finished with 22 points ( 7 - 14 FG , 5 - 11 3Pt , 3 - 5 FT ) , four rebounds and two steals , in 21 minutes . Kentavious Caldwell-Pope chipped in 15 points , four rebounds , two steals and a block , in 34 minutes , while Andre Drummond tallied 11 points , 12 rebounds and two blocks , in 27 minutes . Anthony Tolliver started in place of Ersan Ilyasova , who sat out with a sore thigh . The Pistons will be in Brooklyn on Monday to play the second game of their current three - game road trip . The Raptors will begin a six - game road trip in Denver on Monday .


The Toronto Raptors ( 36 - 18 ) defeated the Memphis Grizzlies ( 32 - 23 ) 98 - 85 on Sunday . The 13 - point margin is not indicative of how this game was played , as it was a close grinder throughout . The Raptors ended the game on an 8 - 1 run and really stifled the Grizzlies late . Both teams struggled from the field , with Toronto shooting 41 percent , with Memphis shooting 37 percent on their end . The Raptors actually held the Grizzlies starters to just 33 points in the win . Memphis came into this game as a sizable underdog and just could n't muster up enough offense to hang around . Zach Randolph was the only starter who played well , as he amassed 18 points and six rebounds in the defeat . The bench was very good though , as Lance Stephenson , Vince Cater and Mario Chalmers all scored between 16 and 17 points . The Grizzlies next game will be much easier , as they host the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday . Toronto played their first home game in nearly a month and did n't disappoint . DeMar DeRozan led the team with 21 points , while going 9 - for - 10 from the free - throw line . Kyle Lowry tallied 18 points , seven assists and four rebounds in the victory . Patrick Patterson and Cory Joseph gave the team a nice spark off the bench , as they totaled 25 points and 12 rebounds between the two . On deck for Toronto is a matchup versus the New York Knicks on Monday in the back end of a back - to - back set .


The Toronto Raptors ( 38 - 18 ) defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves ( 18 - 40 ) 114 - 105 , on Wednesday night at Air Canada Center . The Raptors avoided a second collapse against the Timberwolves this season by clamping down in the fourth quarter . The Timberwolves overcame an 18 - point deficit on February 10th , to defeat the Raptors in Minnesota but the Raptors would not allow a repeat , especially not on their home turf , where their record is now a solid 20 - 6 . This was the Raptors third win in a row and marked a franchise - tying ninth straight home victory for Toronto . The Raptors led by as many as nine in the fourth quarter before Minnesota tied it up at 101 with 3:48 to go . This all too familiar circumstance must have ignited Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan , who went into clutch mode , hitting two three - pointers each , combining for 12 points in the last three and a half minutes . Lowry really helped Toronto get over the hump in this one as he scored 12 of his 21 points ( 6 - 14 FG , 3 - 8 3Pt , 6 - 6 FT ) in the final quarter . Lowry also tallied six assists and three rebounds , in 39 hard fought minutes . DeMar DeRozan poured in a game - high 31 points ( 11 - 19 FG , 2 - 2 3Pt , 7 - 8 FT ) , along with four rebounds , four assists and two steals , in 38 minutes . Cory Joseph finished with 18 points ( 6 - 8 FG , 1 - 2 3Pt , 5 - 8 FT ) , six assists and two rebounds in 22 minutes off the bench . Andrew Wiggins led the Timberwolves with a team - high 26 points ( 9 - 19 FG , 2 - 2 3Pt , 6 - 9 FT ) , along with four rebounds and three assists . He did however give up an unsightly six turnovers , in his 32 minutes on the floor . Ricky Rubio logged a double - double with 12 points and 12 assists , along with three rebounds and two steals , in 36 minutes , while Gorgui Dieng chipped in 21 points ( 8 - 9 FG , 5 - 6 FT ) , eight rebounds , three assists , two blocks and a steal . Dieng played 41 minutes , as he started in place of Kevin Garnett , who sat out with a sore knee . Karl-Anthony Towns , who has averaged 24 points and 13 rebounds in his last six games was relatively quiet , as he finished with 16 points and six rebounds , in 37 minutes . Next , the Timberwolves will visit New Orleans to face - off against the Pelicans on Saturday . The Raptors will host the Cavaliers on Friday , in what will be a showdown between the top two teams in the East .


The Toronto Raptors ( 39 - 18 ) defeated the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers ( 41 - 16 ) 99 - 97 , Friday night at Air Canada Center . The Raptors came into this one three games behind the Cavs for first place in the East and made a statement by grinding out a win after trailing by 14 with four minutes left in the third . DeMar DeRozan had a tough game , starting 0 - 10 from the field before leaving mid - way through the third with flu - like symptoms . Kyle Lowry then put the team on his shoulders , scoring 16 of his career - high 43 points in the fourth quarter . With Lowry 's help the Raptors outscored the Cavs 31 - 20 in the final quarter . This win means that Toronto takes the three - game season series against Cleveland , 2 - 1 . Toronto has now won 18 of its last 21 games and four in a row . This win marks a single - season , franchise - high , 10th straight home victory for Toronto and improves their home record to 21 - 6 . DeRozan actually returned to the game midway through the fourth quarter , where he scored his only bucket of the game , contributing to a 90 run by Toronto that tied the game with three minutes left . DeRozan finished with six points , six rebounds , two assists and one steal , in 32 minutes . Kyle Lowry was lights out as he tallied a career - high 43 points on 15 - of - 20 shooting from the field , including 2 - 5 from deep and 11 - 15 free throws . He also contributed nine assists , five rebounds and four steals , in 43 minutes . Terrence Ross chipped in 15 points ( 6 - 11 FG , 3 - 6 3Pt ) , two rebounds and one assist , in 27 minutes off the bench while , Jonas Valanciunas was solid in the middle as he racked up 11 points and nine rebounds , in 28 minutes . Toronto has now won 26 games in a row when they hold their opponents below 100 points . LeBron James led the Cavs in scoring with 25 points ( 9 - 18 FG , 2 - 4 3Pt , 5 - 9 FT ) , along with eight rebounds , seven assists but gave up six turnovers , in 40 minutes . Kevin Love added 20 points ( 5 - 15 FG , 2 - 5 3Pts , 8 - 10 FT ) , nine rebounds and five assists , in 35 minutes while , J.R. Smith chipped in 13 points ( 5 - 8 FG , 3 - 6 3Pt ) , along with three rebounds , in 32 minutes . The Cavs shot 50 percent from long distance and 47 percent from the field over all but it was not enough to avoid their fifth loss under coach Lue . Next , the Cavs visit Washington to challenge the Wizards on Sunday . The Raptors head to Detroit to face the Pistons on Sunday . The Raptors will be looking their fifth straight win .


The Toronto Raptors ( 40 - 19 ) defeated the Utah Jazz ( 28 - 32 ) 104 - 94 on Wednesday . A game that was expected to be a grind - it - out defensive battle largely fulfilled that prophecy , with Toronto finally able to pull away on the strength of a pair of standout efforts from their two best players , and an injury to one of their opponent 's key pieces . Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan both tallied over 30 points , and Jazz shooting guard Rodney Hood exited the game in the second quarter after suffering a blow to the head , further dampening Utah 's prospects . Despite Hood 's absence for the entire second half , the Jazz battled throughout , and even managed to considerably outperform Toronto from three - point range by a margin of 39 percent to 27 percent . However , they were surprisingly outmuscled down low despite their formidable frontcourt , getting outrebounded 45 - 33 and outscored in the paint by a margin of 56 - 42 . Gordon Hayward spearheaded the offensive attack for Utah with 26 points , half of which came in the first quarter . He added six assists , three rebounds and a block . Derrick Favors was next with 15 points , seven rebounds , an assist and a block . Rudy Gobert checked in with 10 points , eight boards , two assists and two steals . Trey Burke and Raul Neto paced the reserves with respective tallies of 11 and 10 points . The former added a rebound , while the latter also posted two rebounds , two assists and two steals . The Jazz sit in third place in the Western Conference 's Northwest Division and are currently a game behind the eighth - seeded Houston Rockets . They head to Memphis to take on the Grizzlies on Friday night . Lowry paced the Raptors with 32 points , five assists , four rebounds , three steals and a block . DeRozan was right behind him with 31 points and five rebounds . Jonas Valanciunas collected 10 points , hauled in eight boards and recorded a block . Terrence Ross paced the Toronto reserves with 11 points , three rebounds and two steals . Toronto remains atop the Eastern Conference 's Atlantic Division , and possesses the second seed in the conference , two games back of the Cleveland Cavaliers . They 're home again on Friday night for a showdown with the Portland Trail Blazers .


Despite 50 points from Portland 's Damian Lillard , the Toronto Raptors ( 41 - 19 ) beat the visiting Trail Blazers ( 33 - 30 ) on Friday , 117 - 115 . Toronto is on pace for the first 50 - win season in the franchise 's history , and currently the team sits at second in the Eastern Conference . The Raptors faced a tough challenge on Friday against one of the NBA 's hottest teams , but came away with the victory nontheless . The Raptors backcourt combined for 66 points , with DeMar DeRozan leading the team with 38 . DeRozan went a ludicrous 24 for 25 from the free - throw line , seemingly drawing every foul en route to the team 's victory . The Blazers also came into the contest equipped with a dynamic backcourt duo , Damian Lillard and C.J . McCollum . The two combined for 74 points on Friday , with 50 coming from point guard Damian Lillard . Lillard , who has been playing on another level since being snubbed from the NBA All-Star game , went 16 - for - 28 from the field and 12 - for - 13 from the free - throw line . Lillard and McCollum were the only Blazers , however , to crack double - digit scoring in Toronto , a stat that has been all too familiar for Portland in their meteoric rise to playoff contention . The Blazers won the first three games of their road trip but have faltered as they hit the Atlantic Division , with back - to - back losses now coming to Boston and Toronto . The Blazers will travel to Detroit on Sunday , while Toronto will host Houston .


The Houston Rockets ( 31 - 32 ) defeated the Toronto Raptors ( 41 - 20 ) 113 - 107 on Sunday . The importance of the rather unlikely road victory for Houston can not be underscored , as the Rockets had come in to the contest having dropped three of their previous four games and in tangible danger of losing their grip on the eighth seed in the conference . Further dampening their prospects was the Raptors ' formidable defense , as well as the 12 - game home winning streak they carried into the Sunday night affair . Despite the rather long odds and a 61 - 51 halftime deficit , the visitors rallied on the strength of a typically remarkable effort from James Harden , who collected at least 40 points for the third time in the last six games . Corey Brewer also played a pivotal role off the bench with a 23 - point tally , and the oft - maligned Houston defense was able to elicit 15 turnovers from Toronto . The superior second - half performance was enough to earn the Rockets their first win north of the border since the 2006 - 2007 campaign . Harden added 14 assists , five rebounds and a steal to his game - high 40 - point total , and made a whopping 19 visits to the charity stripe . Brewer paced the Rockets reserves with his aforementioned 23 points , and supplemented it with four rebounds and a trio of assists . Dwight Howard was right behind with a 21 - point , 11 - rebound double - double that also included an assist , a steal and two blocks . Trevor Ariza followed with 13 points , two assists , a rebound and three steals . Although he could n't quite get into double digits in scoring , Patrick Beverley generally held his own against Kyle Lowry and filled out the stat sheet with seven points , eight rebounds , three assists and three steals . The Rockets are currently in fourth place in the Western Conference 's Southwest Division , and they retain a rather tenuous hold on the eighth seed in the conference by one - and - one - half games over the Utah Jazz . They now head to Philadelphia to face off against the Sixers on Wednesday night . For a change , the Raptors were paced on offense by someone not named Lowry or DeMar DeRozan . Luis Scola surprisingly led the way for Toronto , as he capitalized on his matchup against the Rockets ' woeful power forward defense to post 21 points , three rebounds and a steal . DeRozan did follow close behind with 19 points , seven assists , six rebounds and two steals . Lowry was next with 17 points , nine assists , four rebounds and three steals . Jonas Valanciunas put in a full day 's work against Dwight Howard , posting a 12 - point , 10 - rebound double - double that also included a trio of blocks . Corey Joseph ( nine points , five rebounds and three assists ) and Terrence Ross ( nine points , two rebounds , an assist and a steal ) co - led the Toronto bench . Despite the defeat , the Raptors remain atop the Eastern Conference 's Atlantic Division , and retain the second seed in the conference . They 're home against the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night .


The Toronto Raptors ( 42 - 20 ) defeated the Brooklyn Nets ( 18 - 46 ) 104 - 99 on Tuesday . The Nets put a first - half scare into a superior Toronto squad , particularly in a second quarter in which they outscored the home team by a 35 - 14 margin . The rattled Raptors must have gotten the message at intermission , as they turned the tables in the third period and entered the final 12 minutes having shrunk their 16 - point halftime deficit to a mere two points . They kept the foot on the pedal to open the fourth , going on a 16 - 2 run that gave them a 94 - 82 lead they would n't relinquish . The hard - fought victory helped the Raptors edge to within two games of the top - seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference . Brooklyn enjoyed one of their best shooting nights from the field on the season , tallying 50 percent or better success rates from both the field and three - point range . They were led by Brook Lopez 's game - high 35 points , which he supplemented with five rebounds , three assists , a steal and a mammoth seven blocks . Frontcourt mate Thaddeus Young was next in line with 14 points , four rebounds , an assist and a block . Bojan Bogdanovic managed to get back into double - digit scoring with 12 points , five rebounds , two assists and two steals . Willie Reed followed up his solid spot start against the Timberwolves on Saturday with 10 points , four rebounds , two assists and a steal to pace the reserves . The Nets remain in fourth place in the Eastern Conference 's Atlantic Division . They head to Philadelphia to take on the last - place Sixers on Friday night . The dynamic backcourt duo of DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry spearheaded the Raptors ' attack . DeRozan led the way with 25 points , three rebounds , two assists and four steals . Lowry was next with a near double - double of 23 points , nine assists , four boards and a steal . Jonas Valanciunas was next with 10 points , three rebounds and two assists , while Jason Thompson contributed nine points , five rebounds , two assists , a steal and a pair of blocks in his spot start in place of Luis Scola . Patrick Patterson and Terrence Ross paced the bench with a pair of 11 - point efforts . Both players also hit key three - pointers in the Raptors ' second - half comeback . Toronto remains atop the Eastern Conference 's Atlantic Division . They 're home again against the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday night .


The Toronto Raptors ( 41 - 20 ) killed some of the surging Atlanta Hawks ' ( 36 - 29 ) momentum with a 104 - 96 win on Thursday night . The high - performing Raptors continued to dominate on Thursday while taking on one of the Eastern Conference 's tougher teams . The red - hot Raptors are on pace for the first 50 - win season in franchise history , now needing to go just 9 - 12 to round out the season to accomplish the feat . Toronto is a viable contender for the top spot in the Eastern Conference , sitting just two games back from the Cleveland Cavaliers . Thursday was a testimate to Toronto 's strong team play , as six Raptors scored in double digits while the team shot 46 percent from the field . All-Star guard DeMar DeRozan took the reigns for the Raps , contributing a game - high 30 points on 11 - for - 20 shooting . DeRozan was the clear focal point for Toronto 's offense , while fellow All-Star Kyle Lowry took on distribution , doling out seven dimes . Lowry also pitched in 19 points . He and DeRozan have joined Steph Curry and Klay Thompson and Damian Lillard and C.J . McCollum as one of just three backcourt duos in the association in which both players are averaging at least 20 points per game . The Hawks , meanwhile , had come into Thursday 's matchup with five wins in their last six . No Hawk scored more than 20 , as the team shot just 43 percent from the field . Al Horford led the team in scoring while fellow All-Stars Jeff Teague , Paul Millsap , and Kyle Korver all struggled to find their shooting stroke . Atlanta 's loss furthers the down - to - the - wire battle that the Southeast Division has become , as the Heat , Hornets , and Hawks are all separated by just 2 games . The Hawks will host the Grizzlies on Saturday , while the Raptors will host the Heat .


The Toronto Raptors ( 44 - 20 ) took down the Miami Heat ( 38 - 28 ) in overtime Saturday , winning 112 - 104 in a matchup that should have major implications for the Eastern Conference playoff picture . Guard DeMar DeRozan had arguably his strongest performance of the season , scoring 38 points while also pulling down 10 rebounds and dishing out seven assists . The All-Star got to the free - throw line 15 times in the contest , converting on 12 of those attempts . Center Jonas Valanciunas also posted a double - double , scoring 20 and pulling down 10 boards . The Raptors held the Heat to just 38 percent shooting from the field in a strong team defensive performance . Toronto now sits two games back from Cleveland for the top spot in the Eastern Conference . Recent acquisition Joe Johnson led the Heat with 28 points , his highest - scoring performance in a Miami uniform . With stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh both sidelined , the Heat made due with what they had , finding buckets in unusual places . Forward Luol Deng also chipped in 20 points , while standout center Hassan Whiteside posted 13 from the bench . The Heat are now a full game behind the Boston Celtics for third in the East . The Heat will play the Nuggets on Monday , while the Raptors will take on the Bulls .


The Chicago Bulls ( 33 - 32 ) defeated the Toronto Raptors ( 44 - 21 ) in a potential playoff preview matchup Monday at Air Canada Centre , 109 - 107 . The Bulls took a six - point lead into halftime and led 109 - 92 with 5:47 to play . It looked like they were going to coast to a victory until the final minute , when a Bulls lost ball turnover followed by a five - second violation opened the door for the Raptors , who closed it to 106 - 105 with 20 seconds to go . DeMar DeRozan had a chance to tie it in the game 's final second , but Jimmy Butler blocked the layup attempt and Toronto 's unlikely comeback bid fell just short . Doug McDermott hit four of his five three - point attempts as he came off the bench to lead the Bulls with 29 points ( 9 - 11 FG , 7 - 8 FT ) . E'Twaun Moore ( 8 - 11 FG ) and Nikola Mirotic ( 5 - 12 FG , 3 - 8 3PT , 4 - 4 FT ) led Chicago starters with 17 points apiece , and Taj Gibson notched a double - double with 13 points and 10 rebounds . The Bulls managed to shoot 49 percent from the floor despite missing Derrick Rose ( left abductor strain ) and Mike Dunleavy ( stomach virus ) from the lineup . Kyle Lowry 's 33 points ( 10 - 20 FG , 2 - 5 3PT , 11 - 13 FT ) led all scorers , and he filled up the box score with 11 rebounds , seven assists and three steals . DeRozan scored 27 and added five rebounds . The only other Raptor to reach double figures was Patrick Patterson with 13 , however , as the team as a whole failed to find its shot . They made just 45 percent of their shots from the floor and shot 6 - 20 ( 30 percent ) from beyond the arc . The Bulls continue their road trip Wednesday against the Wizzards . The Raptors head on the road Tuesday to face the Bucks .


The Toronto Raptors ( 46 - 21 ) defeated the Boston Celtics ( 39 - 30 ) 105 - 91 on Friday . Toronto 's outstanding defense has been one of the keys to their highly successful season , and their current position as the second seed in the Eastern Conference . However , it was their offense that made an early splash Friday , as Toronto jumped out to a 30 - 14 lead on the Celtics after one period . Because of their stinginess on the other side of the ball , falling behind by double digits to the Raptors is usually a death knell for most teams , and such was the case again Friday . Boston was forced into catch - up mode all night long , and could n't quite overtake Toronto despite playing much better in the second and third quarters . On the injury front , the Raptors played another game without starting center Jonas Valanciunas , who missed a second consecutive contest with his bruised hand . Boston was led by Isaiah Thomas , who posted 20 points , three rebounds , three assists and a steal . Evan Turner pitched in with 12 points , five rebounds , two assists and two steals . No other Celtics player managed double - digit scoring , but two of their young players did have an opportunity to receive valuable minutes . R.J. Hunter managed eight points and an assist to pace the bench , while Terry Rozier was right behind him with seven points , five assists and three rebounds over 10 efficient minutes . Despite their fourth consecutive loss , the Celtics remain in second place in the Eastern Conference 's Atlantic Division , but do drop to the sixth seed in the conference . They head to Philadelphia to take on the Sixers on Sunday . Toronto 's attack was spearheaded by Kyle Lowry , who tallied 32 points , five assists , four rebounds , two steals and a block . Luis Scola became the latest power forward to have a productive game against the Celtics ' vulernable frontcourt , posting 17 points , three rebounds and a steal . DeMar DeRozan found points a bit hard to come by against Avery Bradley 's typically stingy defense , but did manage 15 points , seven rebounds , six assists and a steal . Norman Powell , getting the start at small forward for James Johnson ( foot ) , supplied 10 points and two rebounds . Terrence Ross led the reserves with nine points , two rebounds , two assists and two steals . The Raptors remain atop the Eastern Conference 's Atlantic Division , and have a hold of the second seed in the conference as well , two games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers . They 're home again versus the Orlando Magic on Sunday afternoon .


The Toronto Raptors ( 48 - 21 ) are now just a single game away from leading the Eastern Conference after a 105 - 100 win over the Orlando Magic ( 29 - 40 ) on Sunday . Key players Jonas Valanciunas and Cory Joseph sat out the game for rest , leaving the bulk of the burden up to Toronto 's Sunday afternoon starting five . The squad measured up to the task , with All-Star DeMar DeRozan leading the game with 25 points . Fellow All-Star guard Kyle Lowry also impressed , scoring 18 , dishing out seven assists , and stealing the ball three times . Toronto played strong , well - rounded ball , turning the ball over just ten times on the whole and outrebounding Orlando 45 - 40 . Orlando , meanwhile , has slid far out of the Eastern Conference playoff picture after a hot start to the season , On Sunday , the backcourt of Evan Fournier and Victor Oladipo combined for 42 points , but the remainder of the Magic 's starting five scored in single - digits . Despite superior 48 percent shooting , Orlando got into major fould trouble , sending Toronto to the line 45 times on the night . Orlando is now just a few games away from elimination from playoff contention . Orlando will visit Boston on Monday , while Toronto will host Boston on Wednesday .


The Oklahoma City Thunder ( 52 - 22 ) earned a road win over the Toronto Raptors ( 49 - 24 ) Monday night at Air Canada Centre , 119 - 100 . Toronto took its first lead at 31 - 30 with 9:30 to go in the second quarter after a Kyle Lowry three - pointer polished off a 100 run for the Raptors . It would be all downhill from there , as the Thunder immediately rattled off an 110 run of their own and never trailed for the rest of the game . Oklahoma City entered the second half with a 13 - point lead and Toronto never got it within double - digits in the second half . Kevin Durant led all scorers with 34 points for the Thunder despite a cold shooting night ( 11 - 27 FG , 3 - 10 3PT , 9 - 10 FT ) , and he added eight assists , eight rebounds , a block and a steal . Russell Westbrook added his league - leading 16th triple - double of the season with 26 points ( 10 - 16 FG ) , 12 assists and 11 rebounds , the latter both representing game highs . Oklahoma City shot a sharp 11 - 26 ) 42 percent ) on three - pointers and 26 - 32 ( 81 percent ) as their offense powered them to the victory . DeMar DeRozan led the Raptors with 19 points on a poor shooting night ( 8 - 22 FG ) , and Kyle Lowry ( 4 - 14 FG , 2 - 8 3PT ) struggled from the floor as well and managed only 14 points . Norman Powell had the best offensive game for Toronto , pouring in 18 points on 7 - 13 shooting ( 4 - 7 3PT ) , and he added four rebounds and a pair of blocks in 27 minutes . But the shooting woes - - 41 percent from the floor and 8 - 24 ( 33 percent ) from three - - were too much for the Raptors to overcome the blistering performances from the Thunder 's superstar duo . The Thunder continue their road trip Tuesday against Detroit . The Raptors continue their homestand Wednesday against the Hawks .


The Toronto Raptors ( 50 - 24 ) reached 50 wins for the first time in franchise history on Wednesday after defeating the Atlanta Hawks ( 45 - 31 ) 105 - 97 . Toronto has emerged as a contender this season , rivaling LeBron and the Cavaliers for the top spot in the East for the bulk of the season . The Raps sit just two games back from the first seed with eight games remaining until the playoffs . Toronto once again proved successful against one of the East 's hottest teams , comfortably defeating the surging Hawks . Limiting Atlanta 's ball movement was a focal point , as the stingy Toronto defense was able to force 18 Atlanta turnovers . Per usual , the Toronto offense was carried by the stellar backcourt of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan , both of whom had impressive nights . DeRozan had a game - high 26 points , while Lowry scored 17 and also dished out 11 assists . Atlanta , meanwhile , has sought to separate itself from the middle of the Eastern Conference and hold on to the three seed heading into the playoffs . Wednesday 's performance did the team no favors , however , as the starting five simply struggled to find their mojo offensively . Only Jeff Teague scored in double digits for the unit , and the team as a whole had a turnover issue , coughing the ball up seven more times than Toronto on the night . With six games remaining , last year 's first seed will hope to retain homecourt advantage for the playoffs . Toronto will take on The Grizzlies on Friday , while Atlanta will have a long break before taking the floor on Tuesday against the Suns .


The Toronto Raptors ( 52 - 25 ) defeated the Charlotte Hornets ( 44 - 33 ) 96 - 90 on Tuesday . The Hornets came in to the contest with a playoff spot in hand , while the Raptors were trying to keep their faint chances of catching the top - seeded Cleveland Cavaliers alive . Charlotte , which had won five of their last seven games , and five of their last seven road contests as well , gave Toronto all they could handle until the closing seconds after mounting a furious rally in the fourth quarter . The vistors had entered the final 12 minutes trailing 75 - 59 , but a strong effort by Jeremy Lin , who started for the injured Nicolas Batum ( knee ) , helped key the comeback . The Hornets got as close as 93 - 88 with 37 seconds remaining after Kemba Walker successfully converted an and - one , but DeMar DeRozan and Corey Joseph were able to sink two key free throws apiece to seal the win . The Hornets were led by Lin 's 21 points , which he supplemented with seven assists , four rebounds and a steal . Marvin Williams followed with 15 points , six rebounds , an assist and two steals . Walker was next with 11 points , two rebounds , four assists , a steal and a block . Courtney Lee managed 11 points , two rebounds , two assists , a steal and a block . Frank Kaminsky III paced the bench with nine points , six rebounds , an assist and a block , while Al Jefferson notably hauled in 11 boards in 20 minutes as a reserve . Charlotte is in third place in the Eastern Conference 's Southeast Division , and is slotted in the sixth seed as well . They head to New York to take on the Knicks on Wednesday . Toronto 's attack was spearheaded by DeRozan , who poured in a game - high 26 points and added seven rebounds , six assists and a steal . Kyle Lowry tallied 21 points , six assists , four rebounds and a block . Jonas Valanciunas posted a 12 - point , 12 - rebound double - double , and recorded three blocks . Joseph paced the reserves with 11 points , four rebounds , two assists and a steal . Patrick Patterson was productive off the bench as well , managing 10 points , three rebounds , three assists and two steals . The Raptors remain atop the Eastern Conference 's Atlantic Division , and due to a Cavs win on Tuesday , remain 4 games back of the top spot in the conference . They head to Atlanta to take on the Hawks on Thursday .


The Toronto Raptors ( 53 - 26 ) defeated the visiting Indiana Pacers ( 42 - 37 ) on Friday night , 111 - 98 . The Pacers entered needing one win to clinch a playoff berth , but the Raptors made sure they left in the same position even though they played with mostly reserves . With Toronto , the No . 2 seed in the Eastern Conference , resting DeMar DeRozan , Kyle Lowry and Luis Scola , rookies Norman Powell and Delon Wright led the way . Powell scored a season - high 27 points , setting a team rookie record with 19 free - throw attempts . He converted 14 and hit 3 of 4 from three - point range . Wright added 19 points while Corey Joseph totaled 18 points and nine assists . Monta Ellis led the Pacers with 17 points , and Solomon Hill scored 16 . Indiana entered as the league leader in 3 - point defense , allowing just 31 percent shooting from long range , but the Raptors shot 46 percent from distance . The Pacers will clinch a playoff berth with a Chicago Bulls loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday , or a win Sunday against the Brooklyn Nets . The Raptors , who led by as many as 19 points in the fourth quarter , set a franchise record with 31 home wins .


The Raptors ( 55 - 26 ) steamrolled the 76ers ( 10 - 71 ) Tuesday night at Air Canada Centre , 122 - 98 . Philadelphia 's offense exploded for 38 points in the second quarter , in which the 76ers knocked down seven of their 15 three - pointers of the game . But the hot shooting could n't last , as the Raptors held Philadelphia to 13 points in the third quarter and turned a six - point deficit into a 13 - point lead , and they would cruise to the finish line . Norman Powell 's 18 points led the Raptors as he shot 6 - 10 from the field and knocked down a pairo f three - pointers . Jonas Valanciunas posted a double - double with 17 points ( 8 - 16 FG ) and 11 rebounds , and Terrence Ross scored 17 points ( 7 - 10 FG ) in 27 minutes off the bench . The Raptors shot 51 percent from the field and made 10 - 25 from three - point land , too much offensive firepower for the 76ers to handle . Robert Covington knocked down six of his 10 three - point attempts en route to scoring a game - high 24 points for Philadelphia . Ish Smith had an efficient night from the field ( 8 - 11 FG , 2 - 3 3PT ) for 18 points , and Nerlens Noel notched a double - double with 14 points and 10 rebounds to go with three assists , three steals and a block . Philadelphia was hot from outside , making 13 - 35 ( 43 percent ) from three , but they got destroyed on the glass , with the Raptors grabbing 52 rebounds against the 76ers ' 32 . Philadelphia 's season ends Wednesday against the Bulls . The Raptors finish their campaign Wednesday in Brooklyn .


The Denver Nuggets ( 10 ) defeated the Houston Rockets ( 0 - 1 ) 105 - 85 on Wednesday at the Toyota Center in Houston . Despite opening the season on their home court , the Rockets struggled to find the bottom of the net in this one . As a team , the Rockets shot just 34 percent from the field and limped to a brutal 23 percent clip from deep . The Nuggets , on the other hand , stayed hot all game long , shooting 50 percent from the field and 48 percent from beyond the arc . In a relatively ugly game with 37 combined turnovers between the teams , the Nuggets were able to cash in the most and finished with a surprising 20 - point victory . Emmanuel Mudiay , the Nuggets ' seventh overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft , made his much anticipated regular season debut . Mudiay had a strong day shooting the ball , finishing with 17 points ( 6 - 13 FG , 3 - 5 3Pt , 2 - 4 FT ) over 37 minutes . He nearly completed the unconventional triple - double , as he also posted nine assists and 11 turnovers . While the ridiculous amount of turnovers is concerning , the Nuggets will need to give their rookie some time to settle in and get accustomed to NBA basketball . Danilo Gallinari led the Nuggets in scoring , recording a team - high of 23 points ( 7 - 15 FG , 3 - 5 3Pt , 6 - 6 FT ) , to go along with eight rebounds and three blocked shots . He averaged just 12 points and 4 rebounds last season , so it was a very nice start for the sixth - year guard . Kenneth Faried was the third Nuggets ' starter in double figures with 18 points ( 8 - 10 FG , 2 - 6 FT ) and nine rebounds . With Dwight Howard sitting out on suspension after accumulating a flagrant foul during the 2014 - 15 postseason , it was James Harden and Terrence Jones who did everything they could to make up for his absence . Harden struggled from deep , hitting just two of his twelve attempts from the three - point line , but still finished with a team - high of 22 points . Harden came just short of being named the league MVP last season , so this was not the start he had in mind . Jones recorded 15 points ( 6 - 13 FG , 0 - 2 3Pt , 3 - 5 FT ) of his own , while pulling down six rebounds . The only other Rocket to reach double figures was Ty Lawson , who scored 12 points ( 3 - 10 FG , 2 - 3 3Pt , 4 - 6 FT ) in his Rockets debut . Lawson averaged 15 points and 10 assists with the Nuggets last season , so do n't be surprised to see his numbers rise over the next few games . The Nuggets will be at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday , while the Rockets will remain in Houston in a matchup with the Golden State Warriors on Friday .


The Golden State Warriors ( 20 ) continued their recent success against the Houston Rockets ( 0 - 2 ) on Friday by blowing them out in Houston 112 - 92 . The Golden State Warriors won eight of their nine games against the Houston Rockets last season and it appears they simply own them at this point . Golden State has now scored at least 98 points in all nine of those games and the Rockets simply ca n't stop this potent offense . The Warriors were led by MVP Steph Curry , who tallied 25 points , seven rebounds and six assists in the blowout victory . Dwight Howard also made his return from a suspension for the Rockets in this game , as he tallied nine points and seven assists while battling foul trouble across 22 minutes of play . The Warriors outscored the Rockets in all four quarters and the game was decided well before the final buzzer . The Warriors had just one player who scored more than 14 points in this matchup , but they did have seven players who scored at least nine points . This is now two blowout wins over playoff teams from last year and the Warriors appears to have a major chip on their shoulder with naysayers in the offseason belittling their championship run . The Rockets are a poor man 's Golden State and it will be tough for them to beat the Warriors in the future in a three - point shootout with all the shooters Golden State possess . The Warriors take on the New Orleans Pelicans ( 0 - 2 ) on Saturday in the second half of a back - to - back in their next matchup . The Rockets started the season with two home games and now have two 20 - point blowout losses . The team continued its terrible shooting from distance and they 're also looking like a poor defensive team yet again . The Rockets are currently shooting below 25 percent from three - point range in their first two games and they have allowed their opponents to shoot nearly 50 percent from the field as well . Harden has also struggled mightily in these first two games , as he is 10 - for - 39 from the field and a dreadful 3 - for - 22 from three - point range . Houston will look to bounce back on the road in their next game on Sunday against the Miami Heat .


The Houston Rockets ( 1 - 3 ) got their first win of the season Monday , holding off the Oklahoma City Thunder ( 3 - 1 ) 110 - 105 at the Toyota Center . After struggling mightily in the first three games of the season , James Harden turned in a vintage performance to defeat his former team . He scored 37 points ( 12 - 26 FG , 4 - 12 3Pt , 9 - 11 FT ) with five rebounds , three assists , and three steals in a team - high 38 minutes . If Houston wants to match its win total of 56 from last season , Harden is going to have to have more games like this one . Russell Westbrook came two rebounds shy of his first triple - double of 2015 - 16 , scoring 25 points ( 10 - 16 FG , 3 - 6 3Pt , 2 - 2 FT ) with 11 assists and eight boards in 32 minutes . While it was a big fantasy night for Westbrook , he turned the ball over seven times and was in foul trouble for most of the game . The Thunder just were n't able to keep up with Harden and the Rockets while Westbrook sat on the bench . Kevin Durant had a solid game with 29 points and Serge Ibaka posted a 12 - point , 14 - rebound double - double . Harden was the star of the game , but Ty Lawson 's performance ca n't go overlooked . Lawson seemed out of place over the first three games of his Houston career , but came up big in this one , chipping in 14 points and 11 assists . He also had four steals and did a nice job of taking care of the ball against a feisty Oklahoma City backcourt . Dwight Howard , who sat out of Sunday 's loss to the Heat to rest his back , added 16 points and eight rebounds in his return to the lineup . The Rockets will look to build on their first win Wednesday against the Magic at home . The Thunder will head back home for a matchup against the Raptors .


The Houston Rockets ( 2 - 3 ) defeated the Orando Magic ( 1 - 4 ) by a score of 119 - 114 in overtime Wednesday at the Toyota Center . Evan Fournier hit a pair of free throws with a second remaining in regulation to force overtime , but the Magic only hit two shots in overtime en route to their fourth loss of the season . Corey Brewer missed two huge free throws late in the fourth quarter , but it did n't cost the Rockets , who have won two straight after starting the season 0 - 3 . James Harden scored six of his 28 points in free basketball to ice the win for Houston . The Magic are still a very young team , but are beginning to see what they have in Fournier and Aaron Gordon , who scored a season - high 19 points on 7 - of - 11 shooting to go along with eight rebounds . Fournier came a basket shy of posting back - to - back 30 - point outings . He finished with 29 points ( 11 - 21 FG , 3 - 8 3Pt , 4 - 5 FT ) , while ripping down six rebounds and dishing out four assists in a team - high 46 minutes . Rookie Mario Hezonja posted his second goose egg of the season and played just 11 minutes off the bench . While Harden led the Rockets in scoring for a second straight game , Dwight Howard was key in the victory , collecting 14 rebounds and adding 23 points in 31 minutes . Houston 's bench was unable to contribute much , forcing the starters to play big minutes and pick up more responsibility on offense . Harden reverted back to shooting poorly from the field ( 6 - for - 22 ) , but was able to get to the line 17 times , converting on 14 tries . Marcus Thornton provided a nice scoring spark again , finishing with 18 points and a pair of three - point field goals . Orlando will head back home for a date with the undefeated Toronto Raptors in their next game , while Houston travels to Sacramento for a date with the 1 - 4 Kings .


The Nets ( 1 - 7 ) finally managed to win a game , defeating the Rockets ( 4 - 4 ) 106 - 98 at Toyota Center on Wednesday . Brooklyn outscored Houston 25 - 17 in the fourth quarter en route to its first win of the season . The unsung hero of the night was Bojan Bogdanovic , who scored a team - high 22 points ( 10 - 20 FG , 2 - 5 3Pt ) in 34 minutes off the bench . The Rockets went cold from the field in the fourth after shooting the lights out for the entire contest . James Harden had an off night , struggling from beyond the arc ( 3 - 10 ) and failing to get to the line enough ( 4 - 5 ) . The Nets woes from downtown had been documented thoroughly up until tonight when they finally posted a solid percentage from distance ( 47 percent , 8 - 17 ) . Brook Lopez ( foot ) had a tough time dealing with Dwight Howard in the paint , but came alive late in the game to finish with 14 points , 12 rebounds and five blocks . It was his fourth double - double of the season . Joe Johnson turned into a distributor for the night , dishing out 10 assists while adding 16 points on 4 - of - 13 shooting from the field . Rockets coach Kevin McHale rode his starters in this one , as nobody off the bench played more than 16 minutes ( Terrence Jones ) . Howard has needed to rest after every couple of games , but it 's almost made him more effective when he does play . The all - star center posted 20 points ( 10 - 16 FG , 0 - 2 FT ) while ripping down 17 rebounds and blocking five shots over 37 minutes . Marcus Thornton also chipped in 21 points , hitting three from beyond the arc with seven assists and four steals . Brooklyn will head to Sacramento Friday to face the Kings in the third game of a four - game road trip ; Houston will try and bounce back against the Nuggets in Denver .


The Dallas Mavericks ( 6 - 4 ) defeated the Houston Rockets ( 4 - 6 ) 110 - 98 on Saturday . The Mavericks pulled off an impressive upset over a struggling Rockets team thanks to some depth and good defense . The biggest discrepancy in the game were the bench points , as the Mavericks bench outscored the Rockets bench 44 - 32 in the victory , which was a much more lopsided number until a late hot - streak from Jason Terry . Dallas also shot 48 percent from the field , while Houston could only hit 38 percent of their shots . Both these teams are going in opposite directions right now and this game is indicative of the team 's recent forms . The Mavericks played well yet again on Saturday and they appear to be finding their rhythm . This now gives them four wins in their last five games and they have been averaging over 110 points a game in that stretch . The impressive part of this win is that they did it in the absence of Dirk Nowitzki , Chandler Parsons and Wesley Matthews , who were all resting on Saturday . Dallas got some great starts from Charlie Villanueva and Raymond Felton , who totaled 42 points and 11 rebounds in the absence of Nowitzki and Matthews . Most basketball fans wrote off the Mavericks at the beginning of the season , but they are proving to be a force to be reckoned with right now . They 'll look to keep up the good form in a game where they 'll be favored against the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday The Rockets put in another poor performance once again at home in whats been a disappointing season thus far , The Rockets were led by Terrence Jones who tallied 23 points , six rebounds and three blocks in the loss . James Harden put together another good line , but it was a poor performance from the MVP candidate . In fact , he started with 11 straight misses and ended the game shooting 5 - for - 21 with six turnovers committed in the loss . He did got 14 - for - 14 from the free - throw line to salvage his line , but the Rockets need better shooting out of their superstar . This is not the same Rockets team from last year and they have some major work to do to pull themselves out of this hole they are digging . They 'll start that digging against the Boston Celtics on Monday .


The Boston Celtics ( 6 - 4 ) defeated the Houston Rockets ( 4 - 7 ) Monday 111 - 95 at the Toyota Center in Houston . The early - season struggles continue for the Rockets , while the Celtics continue to impress . Boston ended up winning in dominating fashion , as despite finishing the first half in a draw , a dominating third quarter that the C 's won 32 - 13 ended the game before the final period could even start . Isaiah Thomas continues to thrive in his role as the starting point guard , as he finished with 23 points and six assists in just 24 minutes . He has now recorded 20 - plus points and six - plus assists in three straight games - all of which were won by Boston . Coming off the bench , Avery Bradley put in an efficient outing of his own , scoring 21 points in just 20 minutes . Jae Crowder was the only other Celtic to score in double figures , finishing with 16 points on 7 - of - 10 shooting in 28 minutes . On the contrary , the Rockets struggles were personified by the poor play of their two superstars . James Harden could not get anything going on offense , as he shot just 4 - of - 10 from the field and finished with 16 points and three assists in 30 minutes . Dwight Howard struggled even more , managing to hit just 2 - of - 4 shots and finishing with five points in 30 minutes . He did , however , finish with a game - high 12 rebounds . The lone bright spots from Houston came from Trevor Ariza , who finished with a team - high 19 points and nine rebounds , and Terrence Jones , who scored 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds . Up next , the Celtics will head home Wednesday to take on the Mavericks , while the Rockets stay at home Wednesday and play the Trail Blazers .


Houston trailed Portland by 15 points entering the fourth quarter , but came back to defeat them 108 - 103 in overtime . Corey Brewer hit a deep three at the end of regulation to tie it at 99 . James Harden then led the way , scoring all nine points in the exra quarter for the Rockets , who improved to 5 - 7 on the season . The comeback victory was much needed for Houston , who took the court the same day they fired head coach Kevin McHale . McHale was coaching his fifth season with the team . The Rockets came into the season with high expections after a playoff run that ended in the Western Conference Finals . Unfortuantely , a lack luster start to the season had them at 4 - 7 entering the day , and the Rockets decided they needed to light a spark under the team . They responded accordingly with their fourth quarter rally , which could potentially be looked back at as a turning point in their season . As usual , Portland was led by Damian Lillard who scored a team high 23 points on 6 - 19 shooting from the field . C.J . McCollum , Al-Farouq Aminu , and Allen Crabbe also chipped in with double - digit point totals . Along with Aminu 's 16 points , he also added 15 rebounds in 37 minutes . The Trailblazers fell to 4 - 9 with the loss and will look to bounce back Friday when they welcome the Clippers to town . James Harden nealry had a monster triple double for the Rockets with 45 points ( 11 - 29 FG , 4 - 15 3PT , 19 - 20 FT ) , eight rebounds , 11 assists , and five steals in 47 minutes . Trevor Ariza and Corey Brewer each added 18 and 16 points respectively , while Dwight Howard scored seven points and grabbed 19 boards . Houston will look to carry their momentum into Friday 's game in Memphis .


The New York Knicks ( 8 - 6 ) beat the Houston Rockets ( 5 - 9 ) 107 - 102 on Saturday . Coming into the 2015 - 2016 NBA season , Kristaps Porzingis was looked at as a major work in progress , but the result of the No . 4 overall pick has given the Knicks fans something to really cheer for . Porzingis finished the night with 24 points , 14 rebounds and seven block on 8 - of - 12 shooting , including two 3 - pointers and a perfect 6 - of - 6 from the free throw line . Arron Afflalo has made a meaningful impact in his return to the starting lineup over the past few games , helping out from the 3 - point line as well , as he drained four 3 - pointers from deep in the effort . Carmelo Anthony was efficient in his 24 minutes played , scoring 14 points on 5 - of - 10 from the field , including a layup with 0:39 left in the 4th quarter which extended the Knicks lead by three . Six Houston Rockets ' finished in double figures , but it was not enough to win in front of their hometown crowd . James Harden led the way for Houston , finishing with 24 points , seven rebounds and 10 assists on 8 - for - 20 shooting . Harden , who finished second overall in the MVP voting last season , is struggling with efficiency from the floor , shooting 38 percent overall . Trevor Ariza , Terrence Jones , Clint Capela , Jason Terry and Marcus Thornton rounded out the rest of the Rockets in double figures , but the all around effort was not enough to secure a win . Houston recently fired head coach Kevin McHale with interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff . The Rockets defensive efficiency ranks in the lower third of the league , and letting up 107 points to the Knicks will not help that cause going forward . Houston will look to bounce back against the Memphis Grizzlies ( 7 - 7 ) at home on Wednesday , while the Knicks visit the Miami Heat ( 8 - 4 ) on Monday .


Houston welcomed Memphis to town on Thanksgiving Eve , and was unable to defend its home court . The Grizzlies ended up taking the win 102 - 93 . While the score was relatively close , Memphis held the upper hand through the majority of the contest . The Rockets continued their early season struggles and fell to 5 - 10 , while the Grizzlies improved to 9 - 7 . After starting the season slowly , the Grizzlies have heated up and won six of their last seven games . Four of those games have been without Zach Randolph , who has been sidelined with a knee injury since Nov. 16 . With their star power forward absent , Matt Barnes entered the lineup and provided efficient statistics . He helped out with 13 points ( 5 - 11 FG , 2 - 6 3PT , 1 - 1 FT ) eight rebounds , three assists , and one steal in 31 minutes of action . Memphis hopes to get Randolph back as they carry their momentum into Friday 's game versus Atlanta . It was an all - around team effort for Memphis , who had six players , including all five starters , score in double digits . Jeff green led the way with 20 points ( 4 - 10 FG , 0 - 1 3PT , 10 - 10 FT ) and seven rebounds . Courtney Lee added a spark off the bench scoring 17 points on 8 - 14 shooting from the field . The only player to touch the court and not score was veteran Vince Carter , who did help out with six rebounds , two assists , and three steals . Houston was able to win their first game following the firing of former head coach Kevin McHale last week , but have lost three games since . James Harden did his part to help the Rockets take off , but was unable to do enough . He did finish the night with an impressive 40 points ( 12 - 19 FG , 5 - 9 3PT , 11 - 11 FT ) , five rebounds , five assists , three steals , and one block in 41 minutes . Jason Terry and Dwight Howard also chipped in with double figures , scoring 13 and 12 points respectively . The Rockets will look to turn things around Friday when they take on the winless 76ers in Houston .


The Philadelphia 76ers ( 0 - 17 ) came very close to humiliating the Houston Rockets ( 6 - 10 ) in Houston Friday night but fell short by two as Houston came out on top 116 - 114 . The Rockets were up most of the way but Phili came up with a big fourth quarter and actually had the lead 104 - 97 with 6:41 left . Houston had to play this one to the very end in order to avoid falling victim to the winless Sixers . Philadelphia 's Robert Covington had his best game of the season so far as he finished with a career high 28 points on 7 - 12 shooting , including 6 - 9 from deep , seven rebounds , five assists , along with a whopping eight steals . Isaiah Canaan also had a great game with 23 points on 9 - 17 shooting , two rebounds and two assists . Jerami Grant chipped in 18 points , three rebounds one assist and one steal . T.J. McConnell scored six points on 3 - 4 shooting and filled the stat sheet with six assists , five rebounds and two steals , in 25 minutes off the bench . Nerlens Noel sat this one out with a sore knee . James Harden made sure his team did not suffer humilation on Friday night as he put up a giant 50 points on 14 - 28 shooting , 6 - 12 from deep , along with eight assists and nine rebounds . Despite his great game Harden gave up an ugly nine turnovers . Dwight Howard did his job in the paint , scoring a double double with 14 points and 13 rebounds , he also dished four assists . Clint Capela also tallied a double double for the Rockets , with 13 points and 10 rebounds . The Rockets absolutely cleaned the glass , with a team total 49 rebounds . Next up for Houston is a dance in New York with the Knicks on Sunday . The Sixers will be visiting Memphis on Sunday .


The Houston Rockets ( 8 - 11 ) won for the third time in four games Wednesday night as they held off the New Orleans Pelicans ( 4 - 15 ) to win 108 - 101 at the Toyota Center . The Pelicans took a one - point lead with 8:56 to go in the game , but the Rockets rattled off a 100 run over the next four minutes to build up an insurmountable lead . Rockets guard James Harden fueled the run with its first five points , and the Rockets never trailed in the game 's final five minutes . Harden 's 24 points paced the Rockets despite an off shooting night ( 7 - 20 ) , as he used his skills to get to the foul line and chip in nine free throws in 10 attempts . Patrick Beverley supplied a double - double with 10 points , 10 redbounds , all while playing a stellar point guard and dishing six assists without a turnover . Terrence Jones added 15 points off the bench and was just one of three Rockets reserves to score in double - digits . For the Pelicans , it was superstar Anthony Davis leading the way , as he had his own double - double with 29 points ( 9 - 20 shooting ) and 13 rebounds , and he made his presence felt on the defensive end with a pair of blocks and steals each . Ryan Anderson came off the bench to supply 19 points ( 3 - 9 three - point shooting ) and 10 rebounds . Poor shooting killed the Pelicans , who managed just 41 percent from the floor and 28 percent from deep . Houston will look to make it a winning streak Friday at Dallas . New Orleans next gets the Cavaliers at home on Friday .


The Houston Rockets ( 10 - 11 ) defeated the Sacramento Kings ( 7 - 14 ) 120 - 113 on Saturday . In what was anticipated to be a high - scoring game , fans were n't disappointed with some up - tempo basketball . The Rockets got off nearly 100 shots in the game and the two teams combined to take 60 three - point attempts . There were 12 total players who scored in double - digits , so it was a good night to get your averages up with these bad defenses playing as expected . The free - throw discrepancy was huge as well , as Houston went 32 - for - 43 from the line while the Kings went just 11 - for - 13 . While Sacramento did have seven players score in double figures , nobody scored more than 20 points . DeMarcus Cousins was especially disappointing , as he scored just 14 points on 4 - of - 16 shooting . Rajon Rondo did put in another spectacular line though , as he tallied 13 points , 19 assists and four steals in the loss . Ben McLemore also had one of his best games of the season , as he amassed 19 points , nine rebounds and three steals in the defeat . The problem with this team all year has been its defense and a 120 - point outing certainly wo n't help those numbers . The Kings will look to bounce - back when they take on the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday . Houston finally seems to be finding some rhythm after a terrible start to the season . They have now won five of their last six games and the offense is playing as fans hoped at the beginning of the season . The defense is still poor , but when you average 110 - plus points in a stretch like that , it 's hard to lose . This team was built with James Harden and Dwight Howard as the core and those two carried them on Saturday . Harden totaled 31 points and nine assists , while Howard collected 22 points and 18 rebounds in the win . In fact , the two combined to attempt 30 free - throws and that 's usually a recipe for a win . The Rockets will look to keep the hot streak going against the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday .


The Houston Rockets ( 12 - 12 ) defeated the Los Angeles Lakers ( 3 - 21 ) 126 - 97 on Saturday . The Lakers ' frontcourt has been manhandled throughout the season by opposing power forwards and centers , and Saturday night represented another situation ripe for the same type of outcome , considering that Los Angeles would be facing a motivated Dwight Howard . The Rockets ' big man , who spent one tumultous season in Los Angeles during the 2012 - 13 campaign , brought his A-game against his former team after back - to - back lackluster performances . The 12 - year pro posted 18 points , 12 rebounds , a pair of assists , a pair of blocks and a steal . It was Howard 's seventh double - double of the season , and featured his second - best shooting night of the campaign ( 88 percent ) . His dominance was a microcosm of the bigger picture , as Houston outscored the visitors in the paint 62 - 28 and outrebounded them 52 to 40 . Los Angeles was led by Kobe Bryant , who managed one of his best games of the season with 25 points , seven assists , six rebounds and three steals over 31 minutes . Lou Williams was solid in another starting opportunity , tallying 15 points , five rebounds , three assists and a pair of steals . D'Angelo Russell could n't put together a third consecutive standout performance , but did pitch in with 12 points , four assists and and three steals . Roy Hibbert ( 10 points ) and Larry Nance , Jr. ( eight points ) only managed modest contributions , and Nick Young paced the Los Angeles bench with 13 points . The Lakers fell to 3 - 21 and remain in last place in the Western Conference 's Pacific Division . They head home to face the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday . In addition to Howard 's stellar effort , James Harden led the overall scoring for Houston with 30 points . Clint Capela also produced against the Lakers ' vulnerable frontcourt , managing his own double - double with 11 points and 10 rebounds . While the remaining Houston starters only mustered single - digit points , Marcus Thornton paced the Rockets bench with 18 points , while Donatas Motiejunas had his best game since returning from offseason back surgery . The four - year pro managed an impressive 11 points in just 15 minutes , which was his highest allotment of playing time in the four games that he 's been active this season . The Rockets improved to 12 - 12 and remain in fourth place in the Western Conference 's Southwest Division . They travel to Denver to face off against the Nuggets on Monday .


The Houston Rockets ( 14 - 14 ) defeated the Los Angeles Clippers ( 16 - 12 ) 107 - 97 on Saturday . Clippers Head Coach Doc Rivers stated multiple times in his press conferences this season that the Clippers need to improve on the defensive end of the floor , and that precise reason resulted in the loss to the Rockets . Outside of strong performances from starters Chris Paul , DeAndre Jordan , Blake Griffin and JJ Redick , Los Angeles sporadic bench was unable to assist the offensive end , and broke down defensively out the gate . Blake Griffin led all Clippers scorers with 22 points and the power forward pulled down eight rebounds alongside six assists on 9 - of - 13 shooting . Chris Paul scored 12 points and added 10 assists , while DeAndre Jordan provided a double - double of his own with 16 points and 11 rebounds . Rivers used all 15 players at his disposal , but the team shot 40 percent from the field and 29 percent from deep . The Clippers were coming off a blown fourth quarter lead to the San Antonio Spurs on Friday , and the second game of a back - to - back against the Rockets proved to be as daunting a task . The Dwight Howard headlines may be circulating on account of the center 's unhappiness in Houston , but the outside issues did not phase the big man as he posted 22 points and 14 rebounds on 8 - of - 11 shooting . James Harden struggled to find his stroke though the contest , but scored 18 points and dished out 11 assists in the winning effort . Ty Lawson ( suspension ) served his first of a two game suspension for his 2014 DUI . Trevor Ariza provided 17 points , six rebounds and three assists in 33 minutes , while Donatas Motiejunas and Marcus Thornton added double figures off the bench . Both teams play on Monday , with the Clippers returning home to face the Oklahoma City Thunder ( 18 - 9 ) , while the Rockets host the Charlotte Hornets ( 15 - 11 ) .


The Rockets ( 15 - 14 ) defeated the Hornets ( 15 - 12 ) 102 - 95 at Toyota Center on Monday . After a very tight first half , the Rockets managed to jump out to a nine - point lead heading into the fourth quarter . But the Hornets responded to even the score , though they were unable to contain James Harden . After scoring just 18 points in Saturday 's win , Harden turned in a vintage performance with 36 points ( 9 - 16 FG , 2 - 7 3Pt , 16 - 19 FT ) to go along with seven assists and five rebounds . It was the third straight win for the Rockets , who are over the .500 mark on the season for the first time since Nov. 7 . Harden did n't get much help from the rest of the Rockets ' starters , but he did get some support from the bench . Terrence Jones posted 17 points on 7 - of - 11 shooting from the field and Marcus Thornton put up 13 with a pair of 3 - pointers . Dwight Howard was relatively quiet after recording back - to - back double - doubles . Houston will get a chance to extend its win streak to four games Wednesday against the Magic . The Hornets - - for the most part - - played a pretty tight defensive game , but had no one to slow down Harden , which was the difference in the end . They also experienced one of their worst offensive games of the season , shooting just under 35 percent from the field while hitting just 12 - of - 41 attempts from beyond the arc . Charlotte tried to spread the ball around with seven players taking eight or more shot attempts , but it did n't translate into winning basketball . The Hornets will look to end their mini two - game skid Wednesday against the Celtics at home .


The Houston Rockets ( 16 - 15 ) defeated the San Antonio Spurs ( 25 - 6 ) 88 - 84 on Friday in a Christmas Day showdown . The Rockets pulled off quite the feat here , as they beat one of the powerhouses in the NBA . They got it done with an even more bizarre recipe , as they won with defense and very little three - point shooting . Houston really turned it on in the second half overcoming a halftime deficit to win the second half by nine points . Houston did n't shoot efficiently from the free - throw line , but they did a fantastic job of drawing fouls , as they took 26 free throws to the Spurs eight . The Spurs are known for their staunchy defense , but they did n't play enough offense here to get a win . They barely shot 40 percent from the field and got to the free - throw line just eight times . Tim Duncan recorded a double - double , but Kawhi Leonard was the star on the night . Leonard has a great all - around game , tallying 20 points , seven rebounds , four assists , five steals and three blocks in an outstanding performance . This was a tough task to beat a hungry Houston team on the road in a showcase game and the Spurs have nothing to be ashamed about with their amazing play this season . They 'll take on the Denver Nuggets at home on Saturday in their next game to try to continue their undefeated home streak this season . The Rockets have n't had a great season by their standards , but this was a great performance in a showcase game . They attempt the most three - pointers in the NBA , but went just 7 - for - 15 here in an efficient fashion . Dwight Howard recorded a double - double , but the beard was the hero . He showed up big in the second half and carried them to a win . Harden finished with 20 points , nine assists and four rebounds en route to the victory . Jason Terry also scored nine points in the final quarter and came up clutch for this Rockets team to help aid the win . They 'll look to build off this win in Saturday 's game against the New Orleans Pelicans .


The Atlanta Hawks ( 21 - 13 ) prevailed over the Houston Rockets ( 17 - 16 ) in a wild back - and - forth affair , 121 - 115 on Tuesday . The game provided plenty of fireworks with several outstanding individual stat lines , but the best individual matchup of the night was between the big men . Dwight Howard and Al Horford seemed to bring out each other 's best and virtually matched one another point for point and rebound and rebound . Howard finished with a season - high 30 points and added 16 rebounds , while Horford equaled him with a season - high 30 points and 14 rebounds . Due to the game remaining close throughout , both players also received a higher allotment of minutes than usual . The standoff between them also extended to the final statistics down low for both clubs , as they battled to a draw near the basket ; Atlanta slightly outscored Houston in the paint , 50 - 46 , while the Rockets nipped them in the rebounding department , 46 - 45 . Besides Horford 's outstanding effort , the Hawks also got a trio of 20 - point - plus efforts from some of their most dependable starters . Kent Bazemore , already a solid contributor in rebounds and assists , turned his scoring up several notches , collecting 26 points on the night along with four assists and three rebounds . Stalwarts Jeff Teague and Paul Millsap contributed a pair of 22 - point tallies , with the latter making it a double - double by hauling in 13 boards as well . The veteran power forward also added a season - high five blocks as he dominated a Houston defense that has been one of the league 's weakest against opposing fours . The Hawks improved to 21 - 13 and remain atop the Eastern Conference 's Southeast Division . They will now enjoy an extended break over the New Year 's holiday and return to action in New York on Sunday . In addition to Howard 's mammoth double - double , Jame Harden pitched in with one of his own , pouring in 26 points , while also impressively grabbing a season - high 10 boards and dishing out eight assists . Clint Capela was the third Rockets starter to accomplish the feat , posting 17 points and 10 rebounds . Trevor Ariza ( 10 points ) and Patrick Beverley ( nine points ) rounded out the starting five 's contributions with modest outputs , while Ty Lawson continued his recent stretch of improved play by pacing the Houston bench with 14 points , four assists , a rebound and a steal . The Rockets fell to 16 - 17 and remain in fourth place in the Western Conference 's Southwest Division . They await the Golden State Warriors for a New Year 's Eve matchup at home .


The Golden State Warriors ( 30 - 2 ) held off the Houston Rockets ( 16 - 18 ) to win 114 - 110 on Thursday night . This was a good old fashion Western Conference game with a ton of scoring and competitive play . Both teams offenses looked as efficient as ever , as they both were hovering around 50 percent from the field and over 40 percent from three - point range . No team really got a big lead in this game and it was nip - and - tuck throughout . The ball movement was the big difference for the Warriors , as they recorded 35 assists to the Rockets 21 . That 's no surprise with Golden State ranking first in the NBA in assists . Golden state looked like a shell of themselves in their last game without Steph Curry , but looked like the Warriors we all know and love here . The team was moving the ball around like they have been all season and playing the great team - ball they are known for . Draymond Green played distributor tonight en route to his fifth triple - double , as he dished out 16 assists to go with 11 points and 10 rebounds . Klay Thompson was great as well , as he recorded 38 points and seven rebounds . This small break without Curry may be just what this team needs to continue their historic run at that elusive 72 - win mark . The Warriors will take on the Denver Nuggets in their next game on Saturday . The Rockets played extremely well here , but fell just short against a better team . The combination of James Harden and Dwight Howard were the stars on Thursday and they need them to continue to play at this level all season . Harden tallied 30 points , five rebounds and five assists while Howard collected 21 points , 13 rebounds , five assists , three blocks and two steals . Those two playing at that type of level has been a rare sight this season and if they want to make another deep run , this form will need to carry over . Houston will have another tough task on Saturday , as they have to take on the San Antonio Spurs in a building where they have n't lost in this season . Not to mention that that 's a revenge game with the Rockets beating the Spurs on Christmas .


The Houston Rockets ( 18 - 19 ) earned the 103 - 94 victory against the visiting Utah Jazz ( 15 - 20 ) on Thursday night at Toyota Center . This was the second night of a back - to - back for the Jazz , who were coming off a tough loss in San Antonio on Wednesday night . The Jazz have now lost their last seven road games and their last three games in a row . Houston has now won two in a row and is 20 in the season series against Utah . Utah led 44 - 39 at half but the Rockets came out in a lot stronger in the second half . They tied the game at 48 with eight minutes to go in the third and by the mid - fourth they had stretched their lead to nine . Houston had a game of two halves , scoring 39 points in the first half and 64 points in the second half . Houston was missing Dwight Howard who sat out with a sore back , and Ty Lawson who served the first of a three - game suspension for a DUI he picked up last season . This was no worry for James Harden who has been able to carry his team on many occasions . Harden led the Rockets with 33 points ( 13 - 25 FG , 0 - 7 3Pt , 7 - 10 FT ) , eight rebounds , three assists , two steals and one block , in 34 minutes . Terrence Jones started in place of Howard and tallied 14 points ( 6 - 10 FG ) , eight rebounds and two assists , in 32 minutes . Jason Terry finished with 12 points ( 5 - 8 FG , 2 - 3 3Pt ) , two rebounds and two assists , in 20 minutes . The Rockets shot a solid 52 percent from the field . The Jazz had trouble handling the ball as they gave up eight turnovers in the first quarter alone and a total of 19 turnovers in the game . Rudy Gobert was back in the lineup after missing a few games with an MCL strain but came off the bench for limited minutes , while Alec Burks ( fractured fibula ) and Derrick Favours ( back spasms ) remained sidelined . Gordon Hayward led the Jazz in scoring with 15 points ( 6 - 13 FG , 1 - 7 3Pt , 2 - 4 FT ) , along with five assists , in 37 minutes . Trevor Booker was solid in 25 minutes off the bench , finishing with 12 points ( 6 - 9 FG ) and nine rebounds . Rookie Trey Lyles started in place of Favours and finished with nine points , nine rebounds , three assists , two steals and two blocked shots , in 33 minutes . Next the Jazz will host Miami on Saturday . The Jazz have faired a lot better at home than on the road this season . Top scorers Paul George and James Harden will shoot it out on Sunday as the Rockets host the Pacers .


The Houston Rockets ( 19 - 19 ) defeated the Indiana Pacers ( 21 - 16 ) 107 - 103 in an overtime thriller on Sunday . This was anticipated to be a high - scoring game and while it was , it took overtime to get there . It was amazing how much three - point shooting there was in this game , as the two teams combined for 69 three - point attempts . The assist - to - turnover ratios were a huge difference in this game , as the Pacers recorded 33 assists and 18 turnovers , while the Rockets committed 22 turnovers to their 24 assists . It 's rare to see a team win a game when your turnovers and assists are nearly identical , but that was the case here . The Rockets won the rebounding total 49 to 39 and that very well may have been the decisive factor . The Pacers were outscored by 13 in the fourth quarter and just could n't hold off the Rockets in overtime for a devastating loss . Paul George was n't scoring like he usually does , but he did a great job of stuffing the stat sheet and playing great defense . George finished the game with 20 points , six rebounds , four assists , seven steals and two blocks in the defeat . Monta Ellis also did a great job of playing distributor , as he dished out 13 assists while scoring 11 of his own in the loss . Indiana will look to bounce back against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday in their next game . The Rockets played some ugly basketball tonight , with the five starters combining for 19 turnovers . That 's a recipe for disaster , especially when you 're not shooting the three - ball well . In any case , they still pulled out a win in impressive comeback fashion and got back to .500 . Dwight Howard had a renaissance line , as he totaled 21 points and 17 rebounds . James Harden was the go - to guy once again though , as he tallied 21 points , nine rebounds and nine assists in the win . The bench scored just 23 points here , so the starters had a lot on their shoulders and capitalized with their opportunity . Houston will travel to Memphis on Tuesday in their next game to take on the Grizzlies .


The Houston Rockets ( 21 - 19 ) defeated the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves ( 12 - 28 ) 107 - 104 on Wednesday atToyota Center . This game marked a close affair between two Western Conference teams . With nine seperate lead changes , each team had their chance to make a run and close the game out , but in the end , the Rockets came out victorious . In the fourth quarter , down by seven with a minute and a half left in the game , the Timberwolves did everything they could finish strong . A bucket by Kevin Martin and a pair of free throws from Karl Anthony-Towns brought them within three . After a missed shot by the Rockets , Martin had a chance to tie the ball game at 107 , but missed a three - pointer at the buzzer to take the loss on the road . It was James Harden , though , that led the way for the Rockets on Wednesday . Harden started the game out strong , scoring 16 points in the first half alone . He went on to finish the night with a team - high of 27 points ( 8 - 22 FG , 2 - 10 3Pt , 9 - 11 FT ) , while also getting his teammates involved and adding 11 assists . The double - double marked his eighth of the season , while it was the sixth time he 's recorded double - digit assists . Notching a double - double of his own was Dwight Howard . Howard has dealt with lingering back spasms this season , but did n't show any ill effects Wednesday and added 15 points ( 5 - 7 FG , 5 - 10 FT ) , 10 rebounds and two blocked shots . While the above duo played well , they also received some help off the bench , as Terrence Jones chipped in with 16 points ( 7 - 11 FG , 1 - 4 3Pt , 1 - 2 FT ) and nine rebounds . It was Andrew Wiggins who did everything he could to keep the Timberwolves close . He struggled in the first half , recording just 10 points and one rebound , but he ended up exploding in the second half and finished the outing with 28 points ( 9 - 16 FG , 2 - 3 3Pt , 8 - 9 FT ) and a pair of boards . The second - year guard out of Kansas has really stepped it up offensively of late and is averaging 27 points over his last four outings . December 's Rookie of the Month , Karl Anthony-Towns , also saw some success against the tough defensive bigs of the Rockets . Towns recorded 12 points ( 4 - 10 FG , 1 - 1 3Pt , 3 - 4 fT ) and 16 rebounds over 33 minutes of action . The 16 rebounds matched a season - high for the rookie . The Rockets ' next game will be at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday , while the Timberwolves will remain on the road against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday .