The Toronto Raptors recorded a win in one very tough road game last night. The reigning NBA champs triumphed in Sacramento, 118-113, after a hard and tough battle on the floor of the Golden One Center. What made a difference in this clash was the composure of the Raptors, who, unlike their opponents, made all the key shots in the important moments of the event.
In the final minutes of the match, the ball was often passed to Pascal Siakam, who did his part of the job superbly. Toronto’s forward dropped 11 points in the last 150 seconds of the contest and was playing alone against the Kings. The clutch basket was made with 27 seconds to go, once he went all the way to the rim and made a layup.
“He’s a guy we rely on to make big shots, big plays,” his teammate Norman Powell said. “He’s really playing within himself. He’s not getting rattled or sped up by the defense.”
Siakam ended the night with 23 points, 8 boards, five assists, and three steals, shooting 7-for-15 from the floor. However, he wasn’t the best scorer among the guests. Powell and Lowry combined for 61 points, and 12 three-pointers in 22 attempts. These two guys made the Kings’ players helpless with downtown hits.
Lowry had 30 points, and was 10-for-15 from the floor, with 8 assists, three steals, and five boards. He was also 6-for-10 from behind the arc, with the note that five of those hits came in the last 12 minutes. Powell, meanwhile, made six threes in twelve shots, with five assists.
What was interesting is the fact that Toronto had just nine turnovers, which is great in a high-intensity contest like the one from this Sunday night. Nick Nurse was thrilled with the level of play and the overall action he and his players experienced last night in Sacramento.
“This is so good for us to be in these late games and these teams are playing awesome against us. It’s great that we have to bring such a level of tenacity to match them,” he added.
On the other side, Luke Walton didn’t have anything bad to say about his players. The former Lakers’ head coach added that his team played well, especially in the fourth period, once Kings dropped 40 points on Toronto’s defense.
“We really were scoring on every play. We scored 39 points in the 4th quarter. You score 39 in a close game, you’re doing enough to win offensively.”
De’Aaron Fox had 28 points with 4 boards and assists, and without a single free-throw missed. Alex Len added 15 off the bench with 7 boards, the same as Kent Bazemore. Nemanja Bjelica had another double-double with 14 buckets and 10 rebounds, while Buddy Hield scored only 11 points in 24 minutes of play.
The Kings (28-36) are further and further away from the playoffs. The next three games will be crucial for their hunt. If they win all, there are still some chances to reach Memphis, if they fail to achieve that, the chase is over. This Wednesday, Walton’s side plays against the Pelicans, then await the Nets and the Mavs in the end.
Toronto (45-18) jumps to Salt Lake City to play vs. Utah Jazz.
