Young Rockets, VanVleet send Raptors to one of worst losses of season

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After playing 417 games in a Toronto Raptors uniform, Fred VanVleet faced his long-time team for the first time on Friday night in Houston.

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VanVleet’s won far more games than he’s lost over his career and this one was no exception, with the Rockets sending Toronto to one of its most demoralizing losses of the season, 135-106.

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VanVleet got a lot of help and only needed to score 10 points and hand out six assists. Alperen Sengun and Scottie Barnes, two of the most egregious all-star snubs, led their teams in scoring with 24 and 28, respectively, while Houston’s 2023 draft picks Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore each had perhaps their best performances in the NBA. Immanuel Quickley scored 25 for the Raptors.

VanVleet only ever played with a few of the Raptors still on the roster and the remaining Raptors played like they didn’t know each other too well either.

VanVleet left Toronto for Houston when the Rockets offered him a massive contract worth more than $130 million. About six months later, OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam’s exits would follow, leaving just Chris Boucher around from the championship roster.

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The Raptors got starters Quickley and Jakob Poeltl back after a three-game injury absence for Quickley and 11 for Poeltl, nine of them losses. RJ Barrett remained out and Jontay Porter joined him on the sidelines. Without Poeltl, Toronto had struggled mightily defensively and on the boards. Minus Quickley, the team had lost its best shooter and one of its top creators. Gary Trent Jr. had played well as a starter, and remained with the first group in Barrett’s absence. Dennis Schroder returned to his sixth man role.

The defence didn’t instantly improve with Poeltl back though. Instead, it was quite the opposite. Houston rang off 37 points on 65% shooting in a one-sided first quarter, including a VanVleet buzzer beater.

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It didn’t get much better in the second for the Raptors, with the Rockets simply running them over repeatedly. Even Poetl couldn’t do anything against the relentless Rockets who paraded into the paint over and over again. Amen Thompson, the fourth pick of last year’s NBA draft, went 6-for-6 in the paint in the opening half, Jalen Green, taken second in 2021, went 4-for-5 and the standout Sengun went 5-for-7. Toronto struggled to shoot at the other end and couldn’t get out in transition for easy points and was out rebounded 27-16. The result was a 66-47 Rockets advantage despite 16 points by Barnes.

Houston, which led by as many as 31 points, has surprised this season since adding VanVleet and Canadian Dillon Brooks, and actually passed last season’s dismal win total with this victory.

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The Raptors didn’t put up much fight, outside of Barnes and Schroder, who even got tangled up with VanVleet a couple of times in the second half.

Houston went on a 13-0 run not long after the most recent tie up, so Schroder didn’t spark his teammates, but give him marks for trying when so many Raptors weren’t against the young, athletic Rockets.

It’s clear VanVleet made a wise choice in signing with Houston. The team’s recent draft picks looked extremely impressive and Sengun, acquired in a shrewd trade that has already become one of the best in franchise history, is the real deal. Just three years after trading James Harden and starting a rebuild, Houston has one of the brightest futures in the NBA.

The Raptors, well, let’s just say there’s a lot of work to be done. The Raptors dropped to 17-31, including 1-2 on this road trip, which continues on Sunday in Oklahoma City with a date with Hamilton-born superstar guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

The NBA’s trade deadline is next Thursday.

@WolstatSun

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