(Toronto) Fred VanVleet had 32 points as the Toronto Raptors beat the Houston Rockets 116-109 on Wednesday for their third straight win at home.
Updated yesterday at 11:19 p.m.
VanVleet had seven 3-pointers, a season high. In his last three games, he averaged 29.6 points.
OG Anunoby had 27 points and three steals, leading the NBA with 37 thefts since the start of the season.
Veteran Otto Porter added 14 points including two straight long-range shots at a key moment in the final quarter.
Thad Young, also an old hand, put his shoulder to the wheel with eight rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block.
One of his offensive rebounds led to Porter’s first long shot for a 103-99 cushion for the Raptors.
Porter scored again after a well-thought-out long pass from Scottie Barnes and the Toronto club led by seven points with 5:07 remaining.
After a three-point shot from VanVleet, Young spotted Anunoby for a dunk that made it 111-103 with 3:04 on the clock.
“It comes from experience and a flair for being in the right place at the right time,” VanVleet said of Porter and Young’s play. They played a crucial role. »
Porter played 23 minutes, playing his fifth game this season.
“I was out of breath,” said joker Porter, who suffered a back thigh injury and became a father to a baby girl before making his debut this season. It’s a process of getting your breath back. »
Barnes had 13 points, two more than Gary Trent.
Houston excelled in the first quarter, taking a 37-29 lead. If the Raptors hadn’t made five 3-pointers, including three from Anunoby, the damage would have been even greater.
Toronto got the last eight points in the second quarter, however, finishing the half up 57-54.
The crowd favorites took a 12-point lead in the third quarter, but the visitors tied the score 89-89 early in the fourth quarter.
The Raptors then did enough to advance to a fifth win in six games at home. Their overall record is 7-5.
The Raptors begin a three-game road trip Friday in Oklahoma City, facing Montreal’s Luguentz Dort and the Thunder.
On Saturday, they will visit Montreal’s Bennedict Mathurin and the Indiana Pacers.
The last game of the journey will take place in Detroit on Monday.
Precious Achiuwa sprained his right ankle early in the final quarter as he raced to the basket. He did not return to the game afterwards.
Jalen Green had 21 points for the Rockets, whose performance slipped to 2-10.
“All wins are hard to come by in the NBA,” Raptors pilot Nick Nurse said.