The Toronto Raptors are still trying to process their surprising 123-115 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night at the Golden 1 Center. “Few could have predicted it,” said Raptors head coach Nick Nurse, reflecting on the unexpected outcome. The Kings, who are currently 12th in the Western Conference, were able to outscore the Raptors 38-25 in the fourth quarter to secure the win.
“We just didn’t play well enough, and we didn’t execute as well as we needed to,”
said Raptors forward Pascal Siakam, who scored 32 points in the game. The loss drops the Raptors to 25-13 on the season, while the Kings improve to 15-24. The Raptors were without guard Kyle Lowry, who missed the game due to a thumb injury.
As for what went wrong, Nurse pointed to the team’s poor defensive performance, particularly in the fourth quarter. The Kings shot 52.9% from the field and made 15 three-pointers, including 7 in the fourth quarter. The Raptors, on the other hand, shot 46.5% from the field and made 12 three-pointers.
The Raptors will look to bounce back on Friday when they face the Phoenix Suns at the Scotiabank Arena. The game is scheduled to start at 7:30 PM ET. In terms of what to expect, Siakam noted that the team needs to improve its defense and execution.
- The Raptors are currently second in the Eastern Conference, but the loss to the Kings has dropped them to 2.5 games behind the first-place Boston Celtics.
- The Kings have now won two of their last three games, including a 111-109 win over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday.
- The Raptors will play 10 of their next 12 games at home, starting with the game against the Suns on Friday.
The loss to the Kings is a setback for the Raptors, but it is not a disaster. As Nurse noted, “We’re 25-13, and we’re still in a good spot.” However, the team needs to improve its performance on the road, where it is 10-8 this season. What happens next will be critical, as the Raptors look to regain their momentum and make a push for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.