Houston Rockets: Player grades from narrow loss to Toronto Raptors

B -. Ben McLemore gave some good minutes for Mike D’Antoni but also struggled shooting the ball. The newly acquired guard shot 4-of-13 from the field, including 2-of-9 from behind the 3-point line. The good news is Ben’s two made 3-pointers were both from the corner, which is becoming a common theme for him. Houston could have used more of a rebounding effort from McLemore as they were outrebounded by 19 on Tuesday.. Guard. Houston Rockets. BEN MCLEMORE

Houston Rockets. AUSTIN RIVERS. B -. This was a bounce-back night for Austin Rivers. After struggling against the LA Clippers, Rivers did a few different things well against Toronto. The combo guard ended up with nine points, two rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block in his 21 minutes. After a cold shooting night last time, Austin shot 4-for-7, including an isolation three in the first and an acrobatic driving layup in the third. As long as he can continue to play solid basketball on both ends when Russ and/or Harden rest, he should continue to get decent minutes.. Guard

A. Thabo Sefolosha had the best day of his young Rockets career on Tuesday. Defensively, he was as solid as he always is, which resulted in two steals. Offensively, Thabo was the most aggressive we have seen him so far, driving to the hoop on multiple occasions in addition to firing away from 3-point range. The veteran forward benefitted from excellent ball movement in both of his made 3-pointers and finished with 10 points on 3-for-3 shooting.. Guard/Forward. Houston Rockets. THABO SEFOLOSHA

Power Forward. Houston Rockets. RYAN ANDERSON. B +. Much like Thabo, Ryan Anderson also had his best game of the preseason. The returning power forward buried two shots from the top of the 3-point line and also mixed in his own version of the step-back jumper near the free-throw line. Anderson also pulled down four boards and blocked one shot in 13 minutes. Picking his spots on offense will be key going forward for Ryan.

CHRIS CLEMONS. B -. Chris Clemons didn’t have as strong an outing as he did in his first two preseason games, but still showed he’s full of aggressive energy. The 22-year-old continued to show a complete lack of fear when it comes to letting the ball fly but converted on just 3-of-11 attempts. The promise Clemons showed as a facilitator is what brings his grade up a bit. Chris finished with three assists but should have had more if his teammates were able to convert on their looks off his nice passes. It’s tough to see him not making the roster at this point.. Guard. Houston Rockets