The Raptors Snapped Houston’s 17-Game Win Streak With A Wild Victory

The Houston Rockets navigated February with an unblemished record, and as a regular-season showdown with the Toronto Raptors approached on Friday night, James Harden and company were riding a 17-game winning streak. However, the road team fell into a 19-point first-half hole in Toronto, and despite a wild comeback, the Rockets fell short, and the Raptors were able to escape with a streak-stopping victory by a final score of 108-105.

Houston’s first defeat since Jan. 26 (in New Orleans) doubled as arguably the NBA League Pass game of the year, as college basketball removed ESPN’s typical Friday night showcase, and the Rockets-Raptors match-up was relegated to only local coverage. With that said, this particular game was reminiscent of a similar East vs. West battle between the Atlanta Hawks and Golden State Warriors in 2015, with two of the league’s best teams throwing haymakers to the very end.

The Raptors used 54 percent shooting and 30 combined points from Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan to take a 15-point lead into halftime, and for much of the first half, it felt like a runaway could be in progress. After the break, though, Harden erupted, scoring 26 of his 40 points in the second half and attempting to carry the Rockets back into the mix.

With Houston trailing 104-102 in the final minute, Chris Paul had a corner three in the air that would have given the Rockets the lead but went awry. From there, the Raptors were able to hold serve, withstanding a (deep) Eric Gordon three that slashed the margin back to one and a would-be game-tying effort from Harden (albeit not the greatest look) at the buzzer to preserve the well-earned victory.

Toronto’s victory was the team’s seventh in a row, and the win propelled the Raptors to even a more significant cushion over the rest of the Eastern conference. On the Houston side, there is, of course, no shame in a close-fought road loss to the East’s No. 1 seed, but the defeat snaps a world-class winning streak and, in one fell swoop, brings the Rockets back into a (short-lived) tie with the Golden State Warriors, who take the floor later on Friday evening.

Oh, and for good measure, Drake called his shot.

It may not be remembered along the lines of fantastic playoff action, but the Raptors and Rockets engineered one of the best games of the regular season on Friday, and Toronto emerged victorious.