ROCKETS DEFEAT RAPTORS

Rockets snap a six-game skid with win over the Raptors

Rockets snap a six-game skid with win over the Raptors
The Rockets beat the Raptors, 94-87. Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images.

Dillon Brooks scored 19 points, Jalen Green added 18 and the short-handed Houston Rockets snapped a six-game skid with a 94-87 win over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday.

The Raptors led by four early in the fourth quarter before Houston used a 14-2 run to make it 77-69 with about 7 minutes to go.

Houston was up by four a couple of minutes later when Green made two 3-pointers to power a 9-3 spurt that extended the lead to 86-76.

The Rockets were without Fred VanVleet for a fifth straight game because of an ankle injury and Steven Adams was out because they played Saturday. All-Star Alperen Sengun left in the first quarter with back spasms.

Jeff Green and Jock Landale filled in for Sengun and Green had a season-high 14 points while Landale added 11 with a season-best 10 rebounds.

Immanuel Quickley had 20 points for the Raptors, who lost a fourth straight.

Takeaways

Raptors: Toronto missed Gradey Dick in the second half after he left the game with a neck bruise following a collision with Amen Thompson near the end of the second quarter. Dick, who averages 15.6 points, didn’t score before exiting the game.

Rockets: Although the Rockets escaped this one with a win, they desperately need VanVleet back to steady their offense and get them back on track.

Key moment

The Rockets trailed by four early in the fourth quarter when Jamison Battle was called for a foul on Jeff Green. The play was reviewed and upgraded to a flagrant 1 foul after officials ruled Battle hit Green in the groin area. Green made both free throws to start the big run that gave Houston the lead for good.

Key stat

The Raptors made just 8 of 42 3-pointers.

Up next

The Raptors visit the 76ers on Tuesday night and Houston hosts the Suns on Wednesday.

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Will Christian Walker turn things around in the second half? Composite Getty Image.

The Astros returned from the All-Star break facing two pivotal turning points: a season-defining road series in Seattle and an increasingly hard-to-ignore situation at first base. And while their draft-day gamble on high school slugger Xavier Neyens speaks to long-term optimism, the questions swirling around Christian Walker feel far more immediate.

Houston’s decision to select Neyens 21st overall was a surprise to some, not because of his talent, but because of the organization's pressing need for bats in the upper minors. Still, those inside the draft room saw too much upside to pass on.

Considering the Astros reluctance to sign players long-term, he might be the Jeremy Peña or Isaac Paredes replacement down the road if Cam Smith stays in right field. The bat speed is elite, and the belief is he’ll grow into real power.

Neyens, a 6-foot-4 shortstop projected to possibly shift to third base, may someday be a middle-of-the-lineup anchor. But in the near term, it’s Houston’s lack of middle-of-the-lineup production at first base that casts a shadow over their playoff push.

Walker, acquired in hopes of stabilizing the position after José Abreu’s departure, has not delivered. He’s hitting .229 with a .660 OPS and has already been dropped to seventh in the lineup. With the Astros quietly monitoring alternatives, Jon Singleton, yes, that Jon Singleton, has reemerged as a name worth watching. The left-handed slugger has already hit four homers in 16 games for Sugar Land, posting an .850 OPS. That’s not nothing, even if his career numbers don’t scream long-term fix. In a more typical scenario, the Astros could implement a platoon at first base. But Walker is actually hitting worse against left-handed pitching (.180).

Unless Singleton forces their hand by continuing to look like Babe Ruth in Sugar Land, they’ll likely keep riding with Walker. But the leash is shorter than it was.

The Astros cut ties with Abreu just 1.5 seasons into a 3-year contract. A similar timeline isn’t out of the question for Walker if things don’t turn around. Especially with free agency and trade deadlines presenting chances for Dana Brown to build in contingency plans.

In the meantime, Houston’s most important series of the season so far gets underway this Friday in Seattle, where the Mariners enter just five games back after bludgeoning the Tigers heading into the break. The Astros’ lead, once seven games, feels less secure with Yordan Alvarez, Peña, and Jake Meyers all still sidelined.

The good news: the Astros lead MLB in strikeouts and WHIP, and are TOP 5 in ERA. Their OPS over the past month is second in the league. The concern: Hunter Brown has been shaky in back-to-back starts, and the back of the rotation is a patchwork of question marks.

The Astros apparently have similar concerns about Brown, opting to give him more rest coming out of the All-Star break. He won't be pitching against the Mariners. MLB.com's Brian McTaggart is reporting that the Astros will start Brandon Walter on Friday, Lance McCullers on Saturday, and Framber Valdez on Sunday.

 

Big picture

A sweep in either direction would shift the momentum dramatically. But even a closely contested series could reveal more about where this roster stands, and whether first base remains a tolerated flaw or becomes an active problem.

For now, the Astros are winning enough to keep the conversation quiet. But the noise is building. And if Walker can’t find another gear soon, first base might again become a defining storyline for a team trying to hold off a charge in the West.

There's so much more to get to! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!

The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.

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