TORONTO – The Rockets enjoyed a splendid defensive first half, one of their best of the season.
The Raptors took a look at that, returned for the second half and proclaimed, "Hold my Molson."
The Raptors defense had seemed to strangle the Rockets out of the game, but if there is one thing the Rockets have learned, it is how to respond when a lead is taken away.
The Rockets closed out the Raptors, 107-95, much as they had built the lead in the first place, with strong defense, a burst from the second unit and the one thing they had been missing -- James Harden's scoring.