Midway through the second quarter yesterday, Raptors newcomer Hedo Turkoglu threaded a beautiful bounce pass through a forest of legs to Andrea Bargnani, who finished with the running jump shot. Turkoglu made his Air Canada Centre debut in Toronto's 124-112 loss to the Houston Rockets, finishing with nine points and five assists. The Raptors' most significant off-season acquisition showed the savvy and all-around game that had attracted the Raptors to the Turkish big man in the first place. Bargnani had 16 points and five rebounds, while Chris Bosh added 13 points.
Shane Battier made seven of eight three-point attempts en route to 26 points to top Houston (3-2). Trevor Ariza added 18 points, while former Raptor Pops Mensah-Bonsu finished with 17 points and seven boards.
The Raptors led by as much as 11 points, but had trouble defending Houston's long-range shooting. The Rockets shot 57 per cent beyond the arc, while Toronto made 15 per cent. Houston led 93-89 heading into the fourth and with the second units for both teams on the floor, the Rockets pulled away for an easy win.
