The Toronto Raptors big comeback fell short to the Sacramento Kings 135-130.
The Raptors were down by as many as 23 points but got it to three with less than 10 seconds left. Immanuel Quickey had a chance to tie it up at the end but his long three-point attempt was off the mark.
The Raptors lose in Sacramento for the first time since 2016.
Leading the way for the Kings was Domantas Sabonis. He finished with a triple-double of 24 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists.
De’Aaron Fox finished with 24 points as 7 Kings players finished in double-figures.
The Raptors defense simply couldn’t stop the Kings high powered offense in this one. The Raptors gave up 77 points in the first half.
Sacramento hit 21-38 threes and took 13 more shots than the Raptors. After a bad first half the Raptors were able to turn things around in the second half.
They outscored the Kings 40-30 in the third quarter and 33-28 in the fourth. Toronto was able to make 23-27 free throws which helped them claw back into this game.
Quickley who got off to another slow start came alive in the second half. He had 20 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds but he did struggle from the field going 6-17 and 4-12 from three.
Scottie Barnes chipped in with 20 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. This is the 7th straight game that Barnes has scored 20 or more points.
Pascal Siakam who was in trade rumors with the Kings before the game finished with 18. RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl had 14 points each.
The Raptors also got great production from their bench as 8 players finished in double-figures. Dennis Schroder was a big reason why the Raptors made their comeback. He had 18 points and was a +12. Chris Boucher had 14 points and Jontay Porter had 10 points in 14 minutes.
Overall the Raptors did play a good game, but their defense just couldn’t get stops.
Next on tap
The Raptors look to clean things up and get back on track when they take on the Golden State Warriors on Jan. 7. This will be the Raptors third game on their west coast trip.
Have you subscribed to the Raptors Nation YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
