Raptors rally in Sacramento falls brief as Siakam rumours swirl

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It seems the new-look Toronto Raptors aren’t unbeatable, however they’ve plenty of coronary heart.

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Using a two-game profitable streak since a blockbuster take care of the New York Knicks, the Raptors rode into Sacramento on a excessive, earlier than being given an early actuality examine by the high-powered Kings. Toronto rallied from a 23-point deficit, however couldn’t get sufficient stops to claw all the best way again and fell 135-130.

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Kings star Domantas Sabonis had his sixth triple-double within the final 10 video games and eighth of the season for the Kings earlier than fouling out in a dominant, 24-point, 15-rebound efficiency. All-star De’Aaron Fox added 24 and the Kings nailed 21 three-pointers, capturing 55% from deep. Toronto acquired 20 apiece from Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley, 18 from each Pascal Siakam and Dennis Schroder and shot 54% from the sphere however nonetheless misplaced because of the three-point makes distinction (21 for Sacramento, simply 13 for Toronto).

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The Kings led 36-27 after 1 / 4, with Sabonis scoring 12, after which turned it up a number of notches within the second. After Toronto minimize Sacramento’s result in 4 with 4:04 remaining within the first half, the Kings, an explosive group that led the NBA in offence a yr in the past, went on a 20-4 run to take what felt like full command of the sport into the break.

The Kings hit 14 three-pointers within the first half alone — 11 of them courtesy of Keegan Murray and Harrison Barnes — however went right into a lull till late, permitting the Raptors to rally. The Raptors managed to chop the lead in half, right down to 10, coming into the ultimate quarter and to 5 after Chris Boucher, nice on the evening, took a cost on Sabonis and to 3 when Jakob Poeltl scored a layup. Quickley hit a three-pointer to chop the result in two, however later took too ill-advised three-pointers, each nowhere shut, and the Kings sealed the sport on the free throw line.

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Toronto was with out Gary Trent Jr. attributable to damage and dropped to 14-21. The Raptors solely lead within the recreation was by some extent within the first quarter.

Younger huge man Jontay Porter performed his second recreation with the membership and was Darko Rajakovic’s first substitution. Porter was a part of the late run within the third quarter and completed with 10 factors in 13 minutes. Eight Raptors scored in double figures. The group now heads to San Francisco for a date with the Warriors on Sunday.

RUMOUR MILL BUZZING

Raptors president Masai Ujiri was with the group in Sacramento and spent a while pre-game chatting with Kings brass, in response to reporters on the scene. That got here on a day when the hearsay mill lit up on social media with reviews, most notably from ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and The Athletic’s Shams Charania, that Siakam is being shopped by the Raptors (although they’ve been listening on him since final season). It’s a zany time of yr, with the NBA’s commerce deadline approaching Feb. 8 and reviews will come quick and livid. The overwhelming majority of time it’s all smoke and no hearth, however with OG Anunoby already dealt, this yr might be completely different, no less than the place the Raptors are involved. Siakam is averaging greater than 20 factors for a fifth season. He’s on tempo to hitch Vince Carter, Chris Bosh and DeMar DeRozan as the one Raptors to perform that feat.

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DINO-BITES

Proof that how excessive you might be drafted doesn’t at all times correlate with how good your profession will probably be: The Win Shares leaders of the 2016 NBA Draft occur to be Sacramento’s dominant huge man Sabonis, chosen eleventh total by Orlando and instantly handled Victor Oladipo for Serge Ibaka, Siakam (drafted twenty seventh by the Raptors), Jakob Poeltl (No. 9 by Toronto) and Fred VanVleet, who really went undrafted, however was signed by the Raptors …

Sacramento head coach Mike Brown counts amongst his assistants former Canadian Nationwide group and Raptors head and assistant coach Jay Triano, present Canadian coach Jordi Fernandez and former Raptors guards Doug Christie and Leandro Barbosa.

Averaging 20+ factors for fifth season; On tempo to hitch Bosh, Carter & DeRozan as solely Raptors to realize this.

@WolstatSun

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