The Toronto Raptors were well off their well-honed defensive game for most of tonight’s contest against the Houston Rockets, but held their ground when it mattered most, winning 117-115
Up by two points with 4.5 seconds remaining, the Raptors nearly forced Houston into a five-second violation, then stoutly defended the rim on an Alperen Sengun post-up that bounced off the rim and into the hands of Scottie Barnes as time expired.
That last desperate Rockets possession followed a Gary Trent Jr. go-ahead bucket — a slightly wild inner in traffic as the shot clock wound down, that somehow was never in doubt.