US EditionRaptors rookie Murray-Boyles faces tough assignment in first-ever NBA start
Rookie Collin Murray-Boyles started at centre due to Jakob Poeltl's injury and struggled with Houston's size, as Raptors were out-rebounded 53-22, coach and player acknowledged.
- On Oct. 29, 2025, Collin Murray-Boyles made his first NBA start at centre for the Toronto Raptors in a 139-121 loss to the Houston Rockets.
- Jakob Poeltl was ruled out hours before tip-off with lower back stiffness, forcing a lineup change, and Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic said he had to start Collin Murray-Boyles unexpectedly.
- Houston's size advantage produced clear box-score gaps, with the Houston Rockets out-rebounding the Raptors 53-22 and outscoring them 66-36 in the paint while Murray-Boyles finished with 13 points, two assists, and four fouls in 25 minutes.
- Rajakovic said the reserves are still searching for combinations, and Murray-Boyles said the team must be more gritty on rebounds and physical around the rim.
- The six-foot-seven, 20-year-old Murray-Boyles confronted a rare size mismatch, facing multiple Rockets players over six-foot-10, including 15-time all-star Kevin Durant, highlighting a tough playoff-calibre challenge.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Defensively putrid Raptors meekly succumb to high-flying Houston Rockets
The one-two punch of Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram at least gave the Raptors a fighting chance against a very unorthodox Houston Rockets team whose starting five is arguably the NBA’s biggest, even though they do not start a true big.
Winnipeg Free Press
Raptors rookie Murray-Boyles faces tough assignment in first-ever NBA start
Breaking News, Sports, Manitoba, Canada
With the Genevois Clint Capela, the Houston Rockets won their second win of the season, winning 139-121 off-road against the Toronto Raptors.
Raptors rookie Murray-Boyles faces tough assignment in first-ever NBA start – 105.9 The Region
TORONTO — Collin Murray-Boyles doesn’t think he’s had his “welcome to the NBA” moment just yet, but he’ll never forget the first time he tangled with the Houston Rockets. Murray-Boyles started for the first time in his NBA career on Wednesday, playing at centre for the Toronto Raptors in a 139-121 loss to Houston. That meant playing defence against former leading scorer Kevin Durant, former all-star Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., backup centr…
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