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Lowry helps Rockets edge Raptors

Feb 29, 2012 - 4:58 AM Houston, TX (Sports Network) - Kyle Lowry scored a game-high 26 points to lead the Rockets to an 88-85 victory over the Toronto Raptors at Toyota Center on Tuesday.

Luis Scola compiled a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Kevin Martin and Samuel Dalembert rounded out the double-figure scorers with 14 and 10, respectively. The Rockets improved to 15-4 at home and have now won four straight.

"Our team has come together so well that we have the faith in each other to make the plays and make the right plays and right decisions for each other to try to win games," remarked Lowry when asked about his team's recent late-game victories.

The Raptors got 17 points from DeMar DeRozan and James Johnson added 16 to go with eight boards. Leandro Barbosa added 11 for the Raptors, who have lost five of their last six.

Johnson brought the Raptors within two, but Houston answered with back-to- back three-pointers from Chandler Parsons and Lowry to make it an 81-73 margin with 4:45 remaining in the game.

The Raptors netted the next six to make it a two-point difference, and after the Rockets scored four straight points, Toronto answered back with four straight of its own to cut the deficit to two, 85-83, with under a minute to play.

Martin missed a jumper on the ensuing possession, but Parsons corralled the rebound, allowing Martin to draw a foul with 11.7 ticks left.

Martin went 1-of-2 from the line, giving the Raptors life as they trailed 86-83 with 11.4 still to play.

Linas Kleiza was off the mark on his three-point attempt, however, and Martin added two more from the charity stripe to close out the victory.

"The number one thing is we have to learn how to close these games out. We've had too many of those games," said a frustrated Dwane Casey after the loss. "As a young team, that's something in our growth process that we have to learn how to do."

Houston capitalized on six first-quarter turnovers from the Raptors to take a 27-15 lead into the second quarter.

Toronto woke up in the second, reeling off an 11-3 spurt to start the frame, but Houston tallied the next seven points to press the margin back to double- digits at 37-26 with 5:43 remaining.

Lowry netted six straight down the stretch, and added an assist on a Patrick Patterson jumper to close the half with the Rockets leading 45-36.

DeRozan capped a 7-0 Raptors spurt with a dunk to pull the visitors within three, but Goran Dragic finished the quarter with a runner at the buzzer to give the Rockets a 69-64 edge heading into the final frame.

Game Notes

Both teams finish up a back-to-back on Wednesday as the Rockets will travel to Utah and the Raptors will visit New Orleans...The Raptors won the points in the paint battle 46-22...Toronto finished 2-of-17 from long range, while Houston hit 7 of its 20 three-point tries.