HOUSTON -- High-scoring DeMar DeRozan knows he's going to start getting some new looks and will have to find ways to make an impact when defenses are focusing on him. <br /> <br />On Wednesday night, he found that opening in the third quarter, scoring 21 of his 24 points in the period to help the Toronto Raptors beat the 115-102 to snap a two-game skid. <br /> <br />DeRozan ranks second in the NBA behind Russell Westbrook by averaging 30.5 points a game. <br /> <br />He discussed the adjustments he made after scoring just three points in the first half. <br /> <br />"Just be aggressive. Just take it from how they were playing me," he said. "I was trying to be a passer, get everybody else involved. Pick them apart. Just me understanding that teams are going to play me differently than they would have a week ago. Just me being more conscious of that and picking and choosing my spot. <br /> <br />Raptors avoided losing three in a row for the first time since last November, and ended a nine-game losing streak in Houston. <br /> <br />James Harden had 29 points and 15 assists for Houston, but also had 12 turnovers. The Rockets lost for the first time in four games. <br /> <br />The Rockets trailed by 15 entering the third quarter before using a 9-2 run to open the second half and get to 56-48. That run was powered by a pair of 3-pointers by Trevor Ariza and a third by Patrick Beverley. <br /> <br />DeRozan got hot soon after that, scoring all of Toronto's points in an 11-7 run that extended the Raptors' lead to 72-57 midway through the third quarter. DeRozan had a two-handed dunk during that stretch and capped it with a 3-pointer. He made 8 of 12 shots in that period, including both of his 3-point attempts and also had four assists and three rebounds in the frame. He finished with nine assists, five rebounds and two steals.
