The Toronto Raptors are still looking for their first win since opening night after falling to the Houston Rockets 139-121 at Scotiabank Arena.
Here’s a look at five numbers to know after the team’s fifth game of the season.
The Raptors did a very good job at taking care of the basketball. Things have been trending in the right direction for the Raptors in terms of lowering turnovers and that continued against the Rockets.
It’s nice to see the Raptors keeping the ball on offense as that will begin to translate into wins down the line once other problems are resolved.
Continuing the trend of strong offense, the Raptors found a rhythm on the 3-point line against the Rockets. The team managed to make 21 of 40 of their 3-point shots, good for 52.5 percent.
As a team, the Raptors shot just over 50 percent, resuliting in an efficient night on offense. It’s the other side of the coin that needs working on, and it was highlighted by a particular player’s absence.
Toronto Raptors forward Collin Murray-Boyles comes down with a rebound against the Houston Rockets. / John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Not having Jakob Poeltl in the lineup due to a back injury forced the Raptors to play very differently, especially on the defensive end. In an attempt to improve their defense, the Raptors gave rookie forward Collin Murray-Boyles his first NBA start.
Murray-Boyles scored 13 points in 25 minutes of action for the Raptors, continuing a sound start in his career. At 6-7, Murray-Boyles was an undersized centre, allowing the Rockets to feast on the glass.
The Raptors had only 22 rebounds while the Rockets had a whopping 53 to absolutely shut down the glass. This is exactly where the game was won by the Rockets and lost by the Raptors.
Steven Adams alone had 12 rebounds, including eight on the offensive end. The Raptors had just four offensive rebounds as a team.
While Poeltl is out with a back injury, the Raptors are going to have to find a rim protector to step up. Allowing 66 points in the paint is an easy way to lose basketball games, so the Raptors have to get more out of Jonathan Mogbo and Sandro Mamukelashvili in order to stop the bleeding there.