National Basketball Association
Houston 117, Toronto 99
When: 9:00 PM ET, Monday, March 22, 2021
Where: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Officials: #27 Mitchell Ervin, #81 Simone Jelks, #60 James Williams
Attendance: 2965

Christian Wood scored 19 points, all in the second half, while John Wall produced a triple-double as the Houston Rockets snapped their franchise-record 20-game losing streak with a 117-99 victory over the visiting Toronto Raptors on Monday.

Wood, held scoreless after picking up three fouls in the first half, was the linchpin of the Rockets' run to a double-digit lead in the third quarter. Wood scored 12 points in the period, and his floater at the 3:08 mark lifted Houston to an 86-73 lead. As with everything during their skid, things quickly grew difficult for the Rockets.

Toronto closed the third with a 13-2 run that included two Fred VanVleet 3-pointers and a Chris Boucher three-point play. The Raptors closed to within 88-87 on a free throw early in the fourth but Houston didn't fold.

Wall finished with 19 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists while Jae'Sean Tate added 22 points, six boards and five assists. Sterling Brown added 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Rockets, who were without Victor Oladipo, Kevin Porter Jr., Eric Gordon and David Nwaba.

VanVleet led the Raptors with 27 points. Pascal Siakam added 21 points and 10 rebounds, Norman Powell scored 19 points and Kyle Lowry 17. Toronto dropped its ninth consecutive game.

Brown buoyed the Houston offense in the first quarter, scoring 13 points on 5-of-5 shooting, including three 3-pointers. But Toronto mustered a response with an 8-0 run keyed by two Paul Watson 3s and grabbed a 28-21 lead that the Rockets whittled to one point by the close of the frame.

Momentum swung like a pendulum in the second, with the Raptors taking a 49-46 lead with another 8-0 run only for the Rockets to match with an 8-0 run that moved them ahead 54-49. The final minute of the half produced end-to-end action, with Wall scoring twice before Siakam converted a three-point play prior to Danuel House Jr. hitting a 51-foot, buzzer-beating 3-pointer.

Houston led 65-60 at the intermission in part by parlaying 10 Toronto turnovers into 17 points.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Toronto   Houston
Fred VanVleet 27 Scoring Jae'Sean Tate 22
Kyle Lowry 8 Assists John Wall 10
Chris Boucher 10 Rebounds John Wall 11
Fred VanVleet 5 Free Throws Made Kenyon Martin Jr. 4
Fred VanVleet 4 Steals Jae'Sean Tate 2
Chris Boucher 2 Blocks Kenyon Martin Jr. 2
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Toronto 99 42.5 10-40 15-19 19 44 5 6 15
Houston 117 45.6 14-36 21-26 28 47 7 7 12
Upcoming Games
  • Houston will play their next game at home against Charlotte. The Rockets have a W/L % of .500 after a win and .200 after a loss.
  • Toronto will play their next game at home against Denver. The Raptors have a W/L % of .529 after a win and .308 after a loss.