The Toronto Raptors handed Sacramento its only loss on a four-game road trip, and the Kings are now looking for quick revenge when the two teams meet again on Wednesday on the West Coast.
RJ Barrett scored 31 points and played exceptionally well in the final moments on Saturday, helping Toronto defeat Sacramento 131-128 in overtime.
However, Barrett couldn’t repeat his performance two nights later in Denver. He missed a long 27-foot shot over Russell Westbrook at the buzzer, allowing the Nuggets to escape with a 121-119 win.
Gradey Dick scored 26 points, showing he is a strong contender for Most Improved Player early this season. He has raised his scoring average from 8.5 points last season to 21.6 points in the Raptors’ first eight games of 2024-25.
Despite his good performance, Dick will likely regret his three crucial turnovers in the final four minutes of the game.
“We talked a lot and addressed the problem of turnovers,” said Toronto coach Darko Rajakovic. “In the fourth quarter, I felt we got a little bit rattled. We didn’t handle the pressure well, which is what you need to do to win a game on the road.”
The Raptors were up by 11 points with less than six minutes left in the game and still had a six-point lead before center Jakob Poeltl committed two fouls in just 23 seconds.
Before those fouls, the 7-foot Austrian had scored 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds while defending against Nikola Jokic, one of the best players in the league.
“(Poeltl) was doing a really good job playing in the paint, connecting with his teammates, and being active on the boards,” Rajakovic said. “I thought he played really well against the best player in the world.”
Poeltl will need to maintain that level of play against the Kings’ big man, Domantas Sabonis, who recorded his 60th career triple-double when the teams last met, passing Larry Bird to take 10th place on the all-time list. Sabonis also scored the game-tying tip-in that sent the game into overtime.
In Miami on Monday, Sabonis sealed Sacramento’s 111-110 win over the Heat with a putback off an offensive rebound with 0.7 seconds left on the clock.
The Kings had been trailing for most of the game, including being down by as much as 15 points early in the third quarter. But a candid halftime conversation helped them turn things around and finish their road trip with a 3-1 record.
“Things got heated there in the locker room,” Sabonis said. “We knew we could play better. We came out in the third quarter and made a big run. Emotions are high … last game of a road trip, everyone just wants to get home and get this win.”
De’Aaron Fox led the Kings with 28 points, and DeMar DeRozan added 26.
“We challenged our guys, they challenged each other, and instances like this, that’s what great teams do,” Sacramento coach Mike Brown said. “Everybody wants to hold each other accountable. I shouldn’t be the only guy holding people accountable.
“To get a win like that just adds to the belief and confidence.”
