Gameday: Rockets @ Raptors, December 22
The Houston Rockets sit at 3rd in the western conference with an 18-9 record and are having a great season. Tonight they are slated to do battle with the Toronto Raptors on the road and like it has been many times this season for Toronto, it will be an uphill battle. Toronto luckily avoided their star young player Scottie Barnes missing serious time with his ankle injury, and they should have RJ Barrett back in the lineup as well, so there is more light at the end of the tunnel tonight.
Houston’s bread and butter this season has been their defensive prowess. They currently rank number two in defense across the league, second to only the Oklahoma City Thunder, and their defense is nothing short of fearsome. WIth incredible defenders such as Dillon Brooks and Amen Thompson in the lineup, they can harass their opposition frequently. They will be without one of their standout defenders in Tari Eason tonight, but even without his services, they will still prove formidable on that end surely. The best way to attack Houston is by involving Alperen Sengun in as many actions as possible because of his lack of defensive talent. Force Sengun to be involved in the action through screens, force Houston to be in rotation as a result of this, and shots will come from that. Barnes and Barrett being in the lineup together means that neither player will have to shoulder the creation burden alone.
On the defensive end is where things look quite bleak for Toronto as without Jakob Poeltl in the lineup, they lose their best defensive matchup for Sengun, who creates a good deal of Houston’s offense. Sengun’s ability to play in the post to generate good looks for himself combined with his passing ability out of this play makes its difficult to guard without the right personnel. This will likely fall to Jonathan Mogbo and it will be a stern test for the rookie. Toronto is all too familiar with Fred VanVleet and what he brings to the floor, but this season has not been his strongest. VanVleet is averaging a meager 15.2 points on 37.7 percent from the field and 30.3 percent from three. While his playmaking proves useful for Houston, his scoring leaves a lot to be desired.
Houston ranks 14th in overall offense, and while this is above average, they do lack a strong scorer on the perimeter, which can make guarding them a somewhat easier task than one would expect. Jalen Green is known for his explosive scoring but he has not been having an efficient season by any means either. The number one scoring threat Toronto should be concerned with containing is Sengun, so show help on his post ups, watch players cutting off of him, and play the rest of Houston’s players in single coverage.
There is a pathway to a Toronto win tonight, and it will start with taking advantage of Sengun on the offensive end, and not allowing him to be comfortable on the other end as well. Toronto has punched up time and time again and tonight they will have to if they hope to add a victory in the win column.
Game Info
Tip-Off: 6:00 p.m. ET
Television: TSN
Radio: TSN Radio 1050
Starting Lineups (Projected)
Houston Rockets
PG: Fred VanVleet
SG: Jalen Green
SF: Dillon Brooks
PF: Jabari Smith
C: Alperen Sengun
Toronto Raptors
PG: RJ Barrett
SG: Gradey Dick
SF: Ochai Agbaji
PF: Scottie Barnes
C: Jonathan Mogbo
Injury Report
Rockets
Tari Eason (Leg) – Out
Raptors
Immanuel Quickley (Elbow) – Out
Bruce Brown Jr. (Knee) – Out
Lines
| Team | Spread | Money | Total |
| Houston Rockets | -8.0(-112) | -355 | O 224.5 (-108) |
| Toronto Raptors | +8.0(-108) | +280 | U 224.5 (+280) |
*Odds as of Dec 22, 12:00 am ET*
All Toronto Raptors odds are provided by NBA Betting Site Betway!
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