Veteran forwards Thabo Sefolosha and Ryan Anderson each contributed well in limited time for the Houston Rockets off the bench during Tuesday’s preseason game in Japan.
Facing the defending NBA champion Toronto Raptors, the two newcomers combined for 18 points and connected on four of their six attempts from three-point range off the Houston bench.
The 35-year-old Sefolosha — signed in large part for his perimeter defense — also made all three of his shot attempts in Tuesday’s game, in which he scored 10 points in 15 minutes. His plus/minus figure of +11 trailed only starters James Harden and Eric Gordon (+13) for best on the Rockets’ roster. (See full box score.)
Meanwhile, the 31-year-old Anderson scored eight points, including a pair of three-pointers, and also grabbed four rebounds (three offensive) in his 13 minutes off the bench.
Anderson was signed due to his potential to space the floor as a 6-foot-10 player with range well beyond the three-point line, and he certainly showed glimpses of that potential Tuesday. He played a significant amount of his minutes at center, with starter Clint Capela leaving the game early with a sore thumb.
Both Sefolosha and Anderson signed in late September, only days before the official opening of training camp for the 2019-20 season. Highlights of their play Tuesday can be seen below:
The Rockets and Raptors will meet again on Thursday, also at Japan’s Saitama Super Arena. Houston is currently 2-1 in preseason games.
