Overview
- Jakob Poeltl was ruled out hours before tip-off with lower-back stiffness, pushing the No. 9 pick into the starting lineup at center.
- Collin Murray-Boyles logged 25 minutes and finished with 13 points on 5-for-8 shooting, including 3-of-4 from three, with two assists.
- He was briefly benched after picking up four fouls as Houston’s front line leveraged a clear physical advantage.
- The Rockets out-rebounded Toronto 53-22 and held a 66-36 edge in points in the paint, repeatedly deploying supersized lineups.
- Head coach Darko Rajakovic said the reserves are still searching for workable combinations with players shifted into unfamiliar roles without Poeltl.