The Rockets also played without one of its best players as Dwight Howard missed another NBA game with an injured ankle, but Houston is still one of the top teams in the league with James Harden and company.
Harden kept his side in the
game with 26 points and small forward Chandler Parsons added 20, but some good defensive pressure from Toronto sent the home crowd home pleased with the team and its performance.
Greivis Vasquez filled in for Lowry
nicely with 15 points, eight assists, and four rebounds. Omer Asik started in place of Howard and scored nine points and grabbed a game high 15 rebounds.
The win improved Toronto to 43-32, keeping them
tied with Chicago in third place in the Eastern Conference and in line for a home court series in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. Houston fell to 49-25 and holding a slim one game lead over Portland in fourth place in the Western Conference.