Rockets prove they can't afford to lose in this statistical category

There's no such thing as a free lunch. Even a 19-9 team like the Houston Rockets must learn that lesson in the NBA. Even the league's worst teams can be fiercely competitive.

Take the Toronto Raptors. Sure, they're 7-22. The Raptors are in the race for Cooper Flagg. They're still a formidable group. Any team playing them ought to take them seriously.

In Sunday's action, the Rockets almost learned that the hard way.

Rockets struggle against tanking Raptors

A 114-110 win was not what most Rockets fans expected in "the six".

The Raptors led most of this game - often by double digits. This ragtag group of unheralded players pushed the Rockets to the limit. They would have pulled off a tremendous upset if not for a fourth-quarter collapse.

If Scottie Barnes had shown up, it would have also been different. Luckily for the Rockets, he struggled. Barnes had 6 points on 2/15 shooting from the field. He seems to be taking this tank-heavy season as an opportunity to fine-tune his three-pointer. Barnes was 0/8 from long-range.

By contrast, Ja'Kobe Walter had a career night for the Dinosaurs. He scored the team's first 14 points and finished with 27 on 9/18 shooting, including a 6/11 clip from long-range. The Rockets breathed a collective sigh of relief when he fouled out in the fourth.

It was an impressive night for the young guard. That said, the Rockets were supposed to be heavy favorites in this game. Even an outlier performance from one Raptor shouldn't have kept it this close.

What happened?

Rockets uncharacteristically struggle with turnovers

Ball security has been a staple of the Rockets' success in 2024-25. They need to win the possession game. Last night, that didn't happen.

The Rockets and Raptors had 21 turnovers a piece. Alperen Sengun's play was particularly troubling. He had 5 assists to go with the same number of turnovers. He's normally a more efficient playmaker, and the Rockets suffered as a result.

Luckily, Jalen Green stepped up. He had 22 points. His three-pointer wasn't falling, going 2/8 from range, but Green made up for it by finishing inside. His 9/20 shooting from the field made for a solid game.

It was enough to carry the Rockets - along with 27 points from Dillon Brooks - to a win. Still, this game pointed to a key statistical category for the Rockets. Their offense is rudimentary. The Rockets are winning games with suffocating defense, and winning the possession game. They need to dominate the boards and avoid turnovers to execute their game plan:

Otherwise, even inferior teams are going to take their lunch.