Rockets 98 - 116 Raptors
Final
  for this game

Reeling Rockets visit Toronto

Mar 7, 2012 - 3:40 PM (Sports Network) - The Houston Rockets have fallen on hard times lately and are hoping a trip to Air Canada Centre for a showdown with the Toronto Raptors tonight will cure what ails them.

The Rockets have lost four in a row since a four-game winning streak and opened a five-game road trip with a 97-92 overtime loss at Boston last night. Kyle Lowry filled the stat sheet with 18 points, seven boards and seven assists for Houston, which is winless in four straight on the road.

Luis Scola had 18 points and 14 rebounds, while Samuel Dalembert netted 11 points and grabbed 17 rebounds in defeat.

"We started doing the worst thing you can do on the road, just start playing the score as opposed to playing the game," said Rockets coach Kevin McHale about his team's play down the stretch. "We had rhythm going and we kind of came down and lost our rhythm a little bit, then we just got too conservative trying to run the clock, trying to play perfect basketball. You just got to go play basketball."

Houston is 6-12 away from Space City this season and will also visit the Nets, Cavs and Thunder on the road swing.

If everything goes according to plan for the Raptors, a win should be in a store since they have alternated wins and losses over the past seven games and are coming off Monday's 92-88 setback to Orlando.

DeMar DeRozan had 23 points, Jerryd Bayless added 15 off the bench and Aaron Gray posted 11 points and 11 rebounds, as Toronto fell to 6-13 as the host this season and 1-2 on a four-game homestand.

"Our guys can sleep knowing that they played their hearts out," Raptors head coach Dwane Casey said.

Raptors center Andrea Bargnani is still out with a calf injury and forward Amir Johnson is listed as questionable for tonight with a sore knee.

Toronto suffered an 88-85 loss at Houston on Feb. 28 this season, but has won four in a row and 10 of 14 meetings up north against the Rockets.






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