On the road without De’Aaron Fox (quad) or Zach Randolph (rest), the Sacramento Kings fell to the Raptors 108-93.
For once, the Sacramento Kings offense got going early, and they were able to keep pace with the Toronto Raptors 4th ranked offense (by ORTG) for much of the first half but faltered late. After ending the 1st down 35-30, Sacramento was able to jump ahead and take a 63-61 lead heading into the locker room. The edge was courtesy of a George Hill half-court buzzer beater.
Bogdanovic led the Kings with 13 points going into the break.
However, the Kings minimized their turnovers (just 5), and the offense sparked early. Once the 3rd quarter came, Toronto made defensive adjustments, and the turnovers started coming in droves. Seven 3rd quarter TO’s and three in the 4th doomed the Kings down the stretch. A 10-4 run at the end of the 3rd by Toronto pushed the lead to 83-77 and out of reach for the Kings.
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The 4th quarter was much of the same story as the 3rd for Sacramento. A decent amount of offense (16 points), followed by lackluster defense allowed Toronto to close the deal at home, 108-93.
Up Next: The Kings (9-20) take on the Philadelphia 76ers (14-14) on Tuesday in Philly.
Takeaways:
Zach Randolph earned a day of rest. Over his last seven games, he’s averaging 21.6 points, 10.0 rebounds, and just under 3.0 assists per game on 58.9% shooting.
De’Aaron Fox missed his 1st game as a result of a quad injury he sustained against the Timberwolves on Thursday. Fox is expected back soon and could return as early as Tuesday at Philadelphia.
Bogdan Bogdanovic left the game early as a result of a knee to his quad, a similar injury to Fox’s. No word yet on how long he’ll be out.
Temple and Bogdanovic both led the Kings with 18 points a piece on a combined 13/23 shooting.
Next: Why Michael Porter Jr. could be a steal for the Kings
Vince Carter got a standing ovation from Raptors fans as he left the Toronto court for likely the final time in his storied career.