Preview: Kings seek redemption vs. Raptors

Nov 6, 2024, 6:50 AM

TORONTO, ON - NOVEMBER 2: DeMar DeRozan #10 of the Sacramento Kings shoots against Gradey Dick #1 o...

(Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images)

Lead Editor & Kings Beat Writer

It was nearly a perfect 4-0 road trip for the Sacramento Kings, but one overtime loss kept them from flying home on a five-game winning streak.

Sacramento (4-3) capped off a successful four-game road trip on Monday night with a thrilling 111-110 win over the Miami Heat, one made possible thanks to Domantas Sabonis’ go-ahead bucket that dropped through with 0.7 seconds remaining.

Wins in Utah, Atlanta, and Miami helped the Kings overcome a 1-2 start to the season, but they could have returned home with a record of 5-2 if it hadn’t been for an overtime loss in Toronto.

The Raptors (2-6) snapped a four-game skid with a 131-128 win over Sacramento on Saturday in a game that came down to the final seconds, with the Kings coming up short on multiple game-tying opportunities before the final buzzer sounded.

Sacramento will look to get even with Toronto on Wednesday night when the two teams meet for the second time in four days, this time at Golden 1 Center.

Can the Kings continue to stack wins as they find their footing in the Western Conference, or will old friend Davion Mitchell and the Raptors hand Sacramento another loss?

DOMAS FOR THE LEAD‼ pic.twitter.com/GL5GdjLvXL

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) November 5, 2024

Sacramento Kings vs. Toronto Raptors Info

When: 7:00 PM PT

Where: Golden 1 Center – Sacramento, CA

TV: NBC Sports California, NBA League Pass (for out-of-market viewers)

Radio: Sactown Sports 1140 AM – Coverage starts at 2:00 PM PDT on The Drive Guys

Line: Kings -10.5, O/U 236.5

Tickets: Click here

Be sure to tune in right here on Sactown Sports 1140 for all of your Kings vs. Raptors coverage, beginning at 2:00 PM PST on The Drive Guys before a 7:00 PM PST tip-off from downtown Sacramento.

Not Again

During the Kings’ loss to Toronto on Saturday, the Raptors set fire to the nets from three-point range, shooting 17-of-37 (46%)–a season-worst for Sacramento’s three-point defense and a season-best for the Toronto offense.

The Kings have struggled to defend the three-ball this season, as they enter play on Wednesday in possession of the NBA’s second-worst perimeter defense, allowing opponents to shoot an average of 38.6 percent from deep during their first seven games.

It’s early, but Mike Brown’s squad must do a better job of sealing off the three-ball–especially against a team poised to finish the season near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.

Over the past three games, Sacramento has allowed its opponents to shoot 41 percent from deep while only converting 31 percent of their attempts from long distance. The Kings are showing a tendency to live and die by the three thus far, a trend they will want to break as the season unfolds.

FOURTH-QUARTER DEMAR >>> pic.twitter.com/48ki6pW4Y7

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) November 5, 2024

Feed The Hot Hand

Through seven games, it would be an understatement to say that the DeMar DeRozan-Kings experience has been a total success.

Not only has DeRozan scored 20 points or more in each of his games thus far, but the six-time All-Star has also come up clutch time and time again in late-game scenarios, with Monday’s closing effort in Miami being the latest example of his clutch gene.

DeRozan is currently ranked sixth in the NBA in fourth-quarter scoring and is averaging 25.4 points (14th in the NBA) on 52 percent shooting from the field, 35 percent from deep, and 87 percent from the foul line on the year.

The 15-year veteran has displayed his elite ability to get to the free-throw line, holding top-ten NBA ranks in made free throws (7th) and free-throw attempts (9th) while helping anchor a Sacramento offense that leads the league in team free-throw shooting percentage (83%).

DeRozan has been as advertised thus far, and another 20+ point performance on Wednesday will hand him the franchise record for the longest streak of 20+ point games to begin his Kings career, breaking a tie with Sacramento legend and Hall of Fame forward Chris Webber (seven games, February 1999).