![]() Barnes returned late in the quarter but looked indecisive and not in sync with his teammates. However, they could not bring the lead lower than nine, as Jalen Green seemed to have an answer when the Rockets needed one. The Raptors tried to amp up the defensive intensity while pushing the pace faster and getting to the paint a priority. The lacklustre showing pushed Nurse to take Barnes out in favour of Banton, along with Khem Birch’s first appearance. The Raptors opened the second half with the same putrid offense, as they continued to put up brick-after-brick on shots outside the paint, allowing the Rockets to build a 15-point lead. An 8-0 Rockets run pushed their lead to nine, with Gary Trent Jr’s pretty middy a sight for sore eyes, but Anunoby’s corner brick to end the half pushed their awful perimeter shooting to 2-for-15, as the Rockets closed the half with a 65-56 lead. Bo Cruz was the first reserve fighting for a roster spot to get his number called but disappointingly went 1-for-3 from behind the arc despite being wide open. Instead of pulling away, the Raptors continued to rack up film review-worthy defensive mistakes as both teams traded leads. We out here ➡️ /iFoV2TXNGW- Toronto Raptors October 8, 2022 After a couple of sloppy plays, the Rockets retook the lead with a 7-0 run, but the 45 Express took the lead back in transition. The Raptors came out of a timeout with a full-court press - who does a full-court press on a preseason game lol - but it seemed appropriate with this Agent of Chaos unit of Anunoby/Banton/Boucher/Achiuwa/Young. Anunoby, not to be outdone, caught the defense napping for a thunderous dunk, forcing the Rockets to call a timeout. Dalano Banton took advantage with a couple of aggressive looks to the basket. The Rockets opened the second quarter by adjusting the slider on their defense, and suddenly, the Raptors’ offense looked crisp. Fortunately, the Rockets showcased some tanking versatility, allowing the Raptors to win the quarter ugly by repeatedly attacking Garrison Matthews, 29-28. ![]() If someone was watching this game with no prior knowledge, they might think that the Raptors are the ones getting reps for Brick-for-Vic sweepstakes, as they bricked almost every shot they took outside of the paint. The Raptors started the game in midseason form, shooting 1-for-8. Should we be concerned with Barnes’ performance so far? With no Fred VanVleet around, the lack of natural point guard play was evident, and it made even the transition lineups look worse than they should be. The Raptors’ starters combined for 1-for-16 shooting from behind the arc, while Barnes looked about “two years away from being two years away” from being a passable point guard. Rockets’ rookie Tari Eason’s 24 points came from plenty of effort plays. Jalen Green’s solid tough-shot creation led to 23 points and four trifectas. It was fastbreaks, points off turnovers, and three-pointers for the Rockets, as they were +18 behind the arc. It also did not help the Raptors’ cause that they turned the ball over 17 times over the first three quarters, leading to 21 points off turnovers for the Rockets. The Raptors could have built another high-rise condo in downtown Toronto with the number of bricks they attempted, shooting 6-for-34 from behind the arc, 2-for-7 in the midrange, and 22-for-38 from the stripe. Dalano Banton added 14 points off the bench, with 11 points coming in the first half. Pascal Siakam tried to will his team with 18 points and six boards but shot a paltry 1-for-6 from the perimeter. Unfortunately, Barnes pulled off a stinker, and Koloko’s game peaked at 4 blocks in the first five minutes as the Raptors’ horrible offense was in midseason form, as the team lost their first preseason game to the Houston Rockets, 116-100. Coach Nurse wasn’t done making things interesting, as he also gave Christian Koloko his first look with the starters. Scottie Barnes - the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year - is a self-proclaimed point guard, and Nurse gave the fanbase what they wanted by starting Barnes at the point. It’s just one preseason game, but Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse knows how to tease his fanbase.
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