TORONTO – The Toronto Raptors’ record run at home is over.
James Harden had 40 points and 14 assists to lift the Houston Rockets to a 113-107 victory over Toronto on Sunday, handing the Raptors their first loss at the Air Canada Centre in 13 games.
Luis Scola topped Toronto (41-20) with 21 points, while DeMar DeRozan had 19 points. Kyle Lowry finished with 17 and nine assists, and Jonas Valanciunas chipped in with 12 points and 10 boards.
Dwight Howard had 21 points and 11 rebounds for Houston (31-32) before fouling out with 2:08 to play.
DeRozan had an uncharacteristically quiet night. He didn’t attempt a shot until nine-and-a-half minutes into the game, and didn’t make a shot until about three minutes before halftime.
The Raptors led by double digits for much of the night, but saw an 18-point first-half lead all but disappear by midway through the fourth quarter. Back-to-back three-pointers from Trevor Ariza gave the Rockets their first lead since the first quarter with 4:43 to play.
Harden, the league’s No. 2 scorer, drained a three _ and shot a sinister look at the Raptors’ bench _ to put the Rockets up by two, then made two free throws on the next trip down the floor to put Houston up by four points with 1:18 to play.
Little went Toronto’s way down the stretch, as DeRozan was called for a flagrant foul for plowing through Patrick Beverley with a minute to play. Beverley’s free throw put the Rockets up by five, then Clint Capela made it a seven-point lead, and it was game over for the Raptors, much to the dismay of the capacity crowd of 19,800 fans, who headed for the exits.
The night marked Houston’s first victory in Toronto in nine games.
James Johnson was arguably the best player on the floor in the first quarter, just two nights after he didn’t play a minute versus Portland. The athletic forward had eight points, three assists, a block and a steal, while Scola contributed 11 points, and the Raptors took a 30-26 lead into the second quarter.
A Lowry three capped a 19-3 run that gave the Raptors an 18-point lead midway through the second, and Toronto went into the dressing room at halftime up 61-51.
The Rockets used an 11-2 run to cut the Raptors’ lead to six points late in the third quarter, and Toronto went into the fourth up 85-77.
The Raptors host the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday.
