Rockets 90 Raptors 106

[king]

35-22.

I could not catch the game but im glad I didnt. >

[KFDM COOP]

Raptors whip Rockets on 57-percent shooting

By JONATHAN FEIGEN

Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

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Complete Rockets coverage The Raptors did not just become the latest to embarrass the Rockets, did not just whip them from the opening tip.

They took everything the Rockets believe, everything that they measures and defines them, and trampled it,

The Raptors drove and passed through the Rockets defense, still ranked first in the NBA, but exposed with stunning regularity, toying with the Rockets before settling for a 106-90 win Wednesday at Toyota Center that was far more complete and the Rockets' third in four games, and fourth in the past six.

The Raptors made 57.1 percent of their shots, but rolled to a lead as large as 21 in the first half, finding scoring wherever they turned. The Toronto bench combined to score 61 points, with Andrea Bargnani getting 20 on 8 of 12 shooting and Kris Humprhies scoring 16.

But more than the way it finished, the Raptors mauled the Rockets' lifeblood of defense with the way they started, rolling to a 67-47 first half lead, scoring seven more points than any team has against the Rockets in a half. Their 69 percent shooting was the best against the Rockets in more than 10 years, since the Warriors made 71 percent in November, 1996. Their 67 first-half points were more than the Rockets had allowed in two games this season.

The Rockets made 53.8 percent of their shots, and still trailed by as 21 in the first half, by 20 at halftime.

They finally got in the Raptors' way in the third quarter, outscoring the Raptors' 8-1 in the first three minutes of the half. With 3 1/2 minutes remaining before the fourth quarter, McGrady hit a jump, Chuck Hayes sank a jump hook at McGrady found Hayes inside for a layup that brought the Rockets to within eight. But Hayes missed consecutive layups before Ford drilled a 3 to push the lead back to 11.

After the Raptors' surpassed the 66.7 percent shooting the Clippers had made the best in a half against the Rockets on the night Yao Ming was hurt, the Raptors made just 4 of 16 shots in the third quarter.

But when the fourth quarter began, Toronto coach Sam Mitchell went back to his bench, and with that, the Raptors' dribble penetration and passing broke breaking down the Rockets again.

When McGrady returned to the floor for the final nine minutes, the deficit was still 11 points. With the Rockets trailing by nine, Shane Battier had missed a 3-pointer and Luther Head and John Lucas each missed 3s. The Raptors went to a box-and-one defense, with Juan Dixon on McGrady and everyone else in a zone.

With a Jose Calderon 3-pointer and a free throw, and a short jumper by Bargnani, the Raptors pushed the lead back to 95-76, and offered a demonstration of how easily they had whipped the Rockets in the first half.

But by then, they were also confounding the Rockets with defense to make their thrashing of the Rockets complete.

For a half the Raptors made everything look easy. It was not just that they shot incredibly well — 80 percent in the second quarter overall and from the 3-point arc — they were whipping the Rockets off the dribble from the opening tip.

For all the game-planning, all the study and preparation and good intensions, with the Rockets unable to stay in front of the player in front of them, there was not much else to do.

The Raptors spread the court and then sliced apart the Rockets' defense with the dribble. That brought Rockets big men over to help, leaving Toronto shooters open. That led to the Rockets guards backing off, giving Toronto guards open shots. That led to the Raptors' scorching shooting even when they were not as open as in pregame drills.

The Raptors made 29 of 42 (69 percent) of their first half shots, hitting on a mind-boggling 16 of 20 in the second quarter, including 4 of 5 from beyond the arc. Bargnani made all five of his attempts, scoring 13 points in 14 first-half minutes. The Raptors bench combined to make 15 of 19 shots in the first half, scoring 34 points.

They slowed for awhile, but never seemed to have been stopped, until they put together one last run to put the Rockets away.

[Kountzer]

It couldn't of been more than 5 or so years ago that the DFW boys on the tx hoops msg board were bragging about the chris bosh led dallas lincoln team that eventually won state that year.  I think they won it 2 yrs in a row.  They were dogging Kendrick Perkins and Ozen, talking about how much better Bosh was than Perkins.

I guess they were right.

Btw, whatever happened to that 5'10" guard, be hop, that could jump out of the gym?  Last I heard he was playing for SMU.

DB aka Kountzer