Raptors Rebound With 101-88 Victory Over Rockets
Posted December 13, 2009 4:16 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Chris Bosh scored 27 points and had six rebounds as the Toronto Raptors ended a two-game losing streak with a 101-88 victory over the Houston Rockets on Sunday.
Hedo Turkoglu, who picked up his fifth foul in the fourth quarter, added 23 points for Toronto, Jarrett Jack had 17 points with seven assists, Andrea Bargnani scored 14 and Sonny Weems had 11 coming off the bench.
Carl Landry led Houston with 25 points off the bench, Luis Scola scored 21 and Aaron Brooks had 20.
Toronto (11-15) led 68-47 just past the half-way point of the third quarter after reeling off 12 consecutive buckets on Jack’s three-pointer and doubles by Bargnani, Turkoglu, DeMar DeRozan, Jack and Bosh’s free throw.
With 3:47 left Houston guard Trevor Ariza was ejected after being charged with a technical foul for taking a swing as DeRozan dribbled the ball up-court. No foul was called because Ariza didn’t make contact.
After the play, Jack went face-to-face with Ariza but they were separated. Ariza had one point for the game on 0-for-9 shooting. He was 1-for-2 on his free throws.
By the end of the third quarter, the Rockets (13-10) had cut the Raptors’ lead to 12. They kept chipping away during the fourth quarter, closing the lead to nine at 91-82 with 5:08 to play in the game after Landry made two free throws.
The Raptors led 55-42 at the half on Bosh’s 16 points, Turkoglu’s 12 and nine each from Bargnani and Weems.
Toronto led by as many as 18 points with 10:31 left in the first half but Houston cut that to nine points with 4:52 to go when Brooks, who had 12 first-half points, made consecutive free throws. Landry had 11 first-half points for Houston.
The Raptors regained some of the offensive zest that had been missing recently and took a 32-17 lead after one quarter led by Bosh’s 12 points.
Bosh also had five first-quarter rebounds and two assists.
Weems provided spark from off the bench after replacing Bargnani and scored five points in the final two minutes of the first quarter. Jack also scored five and Bargnani had six.
