The Toronto Raptors have not won a game in their last seven outings. And as they prepare to face the Sacramento Kings — a postseason-bound team in the Western Conference — they also lose Immanuel Quickley to add to their already immense injury list as they try to avoid an eight-game losing streak.
Quickley was ruled out of Wednesday’s game against the Kings on Tuesday due to personal reasons. He joins RJ Barrett (personal), Jakob Poeltl (hand), Scottie Barnes (hand), Chris Boucher (knee) and D.J. Carton (ankle) as those out on Wednesday. Already razor thin, this leaves the Raptors with only Gary Trent Jr. from their original grouping of regular starters.
The Kings, meanwhile, are in an opposite world as the Raptors. They have won six of their last nine outings as they work to secure a place in the postseason. They are currently the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference but are in a virtual tie with the Dallas Mavericks at No. 7. Every win for them is critical as they try to avoid the Play-In Tournament.
Also unlike the Raptors, the Kings are in good health. Trey Lyles and Kevin Huerter are their only players ruled out, while Sasha Vezenkov is considered questionable. But this leaves their All-Star duo of De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis to wreak havoc on the Raptors.
Toronto needs a stellar defensive performance from Trent Jr. and Bruce Brown to contain the speed of Fox. Sabonis, who has been incredibly successful against some of the elite defensive centers in the league, won’t face the same pressure from the likes of Kelly Olynyk, Ochai Agbaji, Jontay Porter and others. It figures to take a team effort from the Raptors to slow down the All-NBA big man.
At this stage, the Raptors organization is less focused on wins and more focused on development while hoping they can keep their top-six protected draft pick. The Raptors are currently a half-game behind the Memphis Grizzlies for the sixth-worst record in basketball, and they need to finish beneath them if they want a better chance at keeping their 2024 first-round pick. It goes to the San Antonio Spurs if it falls outside the top six.
Sacramento Kings (39-28) vs. Toronto Raptors (23-45)
7:30 p.m. ET, Wednesday, March 20, 2024
Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario
TV: Sportsnet
Projected Kings Starting Lineup:
PG: De’Aaron Fox
SG: Chris Duarte
SF: Harrison Barnes
PF: Keegan Murray
C: Domantas Sabonis
Key Reserves: Malik Monk, Keon Ellis, Alex Len
Projected Raptors Starting Lineup:
PG: Gary Trent Jr.
SG: Bruce Brown Jr.
SF: Gradey Dick
PF: Ochai Agbaji
C: Kelly Olynyk
Key Reserves: Jordan Nwora, Jontay Porter, Jahmi’us Ramsey
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