Toronto Raptors shake off rust in exhibition win over Houston Rockets

Back on the court for the first time since the NBA season was put on pause, the Toronto Raptors got a chance to get back into game shape.

It was a sight to behold watching the Toronto Raptors on the court against the Houston Rockets even if it was just an exhibition game.

The NBA bubble at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex has been welcomed but with obvious questions. Once the players got on the court and started playing, it came at a bit of a relief considering how the past few months have gone.

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Playing the first of three exhibition games, the Raptors were clearly looking to accomplish a couple of things. Avoid injuries and slowly shake off some of the rust that normally occurs during a lengthy layoff.

Well, you can definitely say there was some rust but once things got going, the Raptors were back to playing the way we know they can. Kyle Lowry was taking a charge, Pascal Siakam pulled off a nice spin move and Toronto was making defence a priority.

It was also nice to see the bench provide quality minutes in the fourth quarter but there some obvious shaky moments. Hopefully, the team can use the remaining two tune-up games to get back in shape because the final eight games of the regular season are going to be crucial.

Another encouraging sign from Friday night was Serge Ibaka who put up 18 points in the 17 minutes he played and got a couple of shots to hit from three. If he can continue to be a threat from beyond the arc, it should hopefully add some flexibility with him against smaller lineups.

It will be interesting to see how the rotation works with Marc Gasol looking healthy and ready to show off his new physique but finding minutes will likely be a challenge.

Another impressive performance came from Terence Davis who will be battling for playing time with Fred VanVleet and Kyle Lowey expected to take a bulk of the court time. It doesn’t hurt to have him as a safety blanket but he will likely be counted on when the Raptors want to give their other point guards some break as well.

What did you think of the Raptors’ first exhibition game? What do you think they should focus on before the season restarts? Let us know in the comments below.