What we’re looking for in preseason basketball, even when the game takes place in Japan, and yes, even when it starts at six o’clock in the morning, are positive trends. We want to see the defending champion Toronto Raptors take the floor against the Houston Rockets and play with some sense of form and style so as to predict how the regular season will go. That’s what we’re looking for — and that’s what we got. Well, sort of.
Though the score doesn’t really matter, it was heartening to see the Raptors comeback and win 134-129 behind some spirited play from their bench.