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18-point victory + 2 consecutive wins! The Rockets found a winning lineup, and two substitutes became a surprise force

12:05am, 31 October 2025【Basketball】

The game between the Rockets and the Raptors has ended. The two teams contributed to a wonderful duel in this game, and both had a wave of success in the game. However, in the end, the Rockets still seized the opportunity at the critical moment and won the game for two consecutive victories. For the Rockets, this game was a double blessing. On the one hand, they gained two consecutive victories. On the other hand, the Rockets seemed to have found a winning lineup. The two people on the bench also became surprise players in this game. 18 points victory + 2 consecutive wins! The Rockets found a winning lineup, and the two substitutes became a surprise.

The Rockets' performance since the beginning of the season has not been ideal. The shortcomings of the backcourt point guard made the team struggle at the beginning of the season. Uduka deployed a five-top lineup in the first two games, but once suffered a losing streak and it was difficult to win. He has also made adjustments in the past two games. This game continued to include Okogie in the starting lineup, and the effect was quite good. All the starting lineup scored in double figures.

And with this lineup configuration, the Rockets seem to be gradually finding a solution to the shortcomings of the team's lack of point guards, that is, every player can initiate series and pass the ball. All players who played in this campaign except Capela had assists. Shen Jing sent 9 assists, while Amen sent 7 assists. This also brought the team's total assists to 31, two more than the opposite Raptors.

In addition, while this starting lineup maintained an excellent offense, more players came forward on the bench. Ethan came to the bench and played more relaxedly. In this game, he hit 6 goals in 11 shots and scored 14 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Among them, he contributed two buzzer-beating three-pointers.

Adams is getting stronger as he gets older. He played very easily against the Raptors. He scored 12 points on 5 of 6 shots in the final offense, grabbed 12 rebounds, and also sent out two assists. On the court, they provided great help in terms of offensive assistance, rebound protection and attracting defense. The two became the surprise players in the lineup for this game.

In addition, the team got the effect Durant wanted, and it was more intuitively displayed in this game. In the final quarter of the game, the Raptors once relied on outside shooting to narrow the point difference to single digits. At the critical moment, Durant first hit a three-pointer, then a counterattack fast break, a killing free throw, and a three-pointer. He scored nine consecutive points, which directly extinguished the Raptors' momentum to chase points. Last season, the Rockets had no player who could help the team secure victory at critical moments. Durant's role was truly demonstrated in this game, showing his personal scoring ability and helping the team win this game.

After winning two consecutive games, the Rockets' record has reached 2 wins and 2 losses. Although the ranking is still at the bottom of the Western Conference, for the Rockets, the victory in the two games is obviously the effect of the lineup adjustment. The Rockets have won consecutive games and averaged at least 137 points per game for the first time in 52 years of franchise history. If this rhythm can be maintained in the future, then it seems that the Rockets will be back on track just around the corner.

But there is one more thing that needs attention and that is Shepard. Shepherd played 18 minutes in this game and scored 7 points, 5 rebounds and 1 assist on 2 of 7 shots. For this player who was selected by the Rockets with the third overall pick in 2024, his growth and performance seem to be far from expectations. What will happen next? Whether he can fulfill his talent and management's decision.

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