Tag: Toronto Raptors

Toronto Raptors Scottie Barnes (4) and the Sacramento Kings DeMar DeRozan (10) battle for the ball at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Wed Apr 1, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

With nothing to play for the Sacramento Kings (20-57) sure played a great game Wednesday night beating the Toronto Raptors (42-34) 123-115. They outscored the Raptors in the first and third quarters, and tied Toronto in the second quarter 34 points apiece. The Kings took a 90-85 lead into the fourth quarter. There was no fourth quarter meltdown for Sacramento. When the Raptors threatened, the Kings kept their cool and did not panic. Precious Achiuwa was amazing finishing with 28 points and 19 rebounds.

After the first 12 minutes of play the Kings had taken a 27-22 lead. A win is not really a good thing for the Kings; a loss might put them in the bottom three with a chance for a first round draft pick.

While in no way suggesting tanking it would not be the end of the world to lose this game. The Raptors on the other hand who won this game and move into a tie in the Eastern Conference standings with the 76ers. The Magic two games behind with a few more games left on their season than the 5 games that the Kings have. It could turn out to be a photo finish.

Game recap: The Kings took as much as a ten-point lead at the start of the second quarter. A few minutes later the Raptors had chewed up the Kings lead taking the lead 35-34 at 8:33. Toronto continued to build on their lead and mid-way through the quarter had taken a 47-39 lead.

The Kings had all but erased the strong start the Kings had in the opening quarter. Sacramento was getting pummeled in the paint and beyond the arc. Closing in on five minutes left in the half the Kings pushed back trailing 47-46. Despite what they have faced all season there is still no quit in this team. At 3:27 to the half the game was tied at 50 and seconds later the Kings had taken back the lead 52-50 continuing to push. At the half, the Sacramento Kings had taken a 61-56 lead.

Precious Achiuwa was leading the team and already had a double double, 18 points and 15 rebounds. He was was the only King in double figures after two quarters. He has been amazing and he is only 26 years old with a lot of playing time ahead of him. He continues to grow and seldom does he disappoint. Malik Monk had the bench high in the half with nine points. For the Raptors, RJ Barrett had the high for Toronto with 14 points in the first half.

The Kings continued to push their lead taking their largest lead of the game 80-69 mid-way through the third quarter. With three minutes left in the quarter the Raptors took a time-out after trailing 86-77.

They needed this win to solidify a trip to the pre-season. Achiuwa continued to play lights out and now Devin Carter, DeRozan and Monk had shot double digits. With nothing to fight for, this team continued to fight; call it pride but they were on a roll. The Raptors would have to pull out all the stops to win this one. The third quarter came to an end with the Kings leading 90-81.

Going into the fourth quarter could the Kings pull off the upset? After trailing by 11 points, the Raptors pushed back pulling to within five points. Every time they pushed, the Kings pushed right back. With six minutes left in the game and a five point lead 108-103, the Kings called a time-out.

As the clock continued to wind down, the Kings began to struggle with turnovers and fouls. With 1:18 left on the clock, the Kings had a 118-114 lead. It was still anybody’s game. Sacramento made one final push and with under a minute left in the game they took a 123-115 lead. That would be the eventual final with Sacramento pulling off the upset.

The Sacramento Kings played a great road game upsetting the Eastern Conference sixth place team, the Raptors. Precious Achiuwa and DeRozan had the game high each of them scoring 28 points. Achiuwa also had a double double with 19 rebounds. Carter had 13 points and Monk had 18 points off the bench. It was a great win for the team although it does dim their hopes for a first round draft pick.

Game notes: Wednesday evening the Kings defeated the Raptors and with a handful of games left in the season. The Raptors are currently in sixth place tied with the behind the 76ers. Their circumstances could change but in all probability they are playoff-bound.

The Kings are headed into the off-season with a multitude of questions and issues. It should be a most interesting off-season for the Kings. DeRozan was cleared for action in Wednesday night’s game. He had been dealing with right hamstring soreness.

DeRozan played 35 minutes and scored 28 points facing his former team where he has really performed very well. He has averaged 19 points in his last ten games. Russell Westbrook, remains out and although Keegan Murray has an estimated return date of April 3 that seems to be doubtful. While he has been focused on returning there is really no point if he is not at 100%. He is just not ready for game action yet.

The Kings will now travel home to take on the New Orleans Pelicans Friday night April 3 at Golden 1. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.

⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.

Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.

Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.

📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street

Sacramento Kings Nique Clifford (5) defends against the Brooklyn Nets Nolan Traore (88) in the second half at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn on Sun Mar 29, 2026 (AP News photo)

Sacramento Kings podcast Tony Renteria:

#1 How will the Raptors’ strong home record (21–16) impact the outcome against a struggling Kings team on the road (6–32)?

#2 Can the Kings overcome recent injuries and lineup instability to stay competitive in this game?

#3 Which Kings leading scorer—such as Maxime Raynaud or DeMar DeRozan—will have the biggest impact on the game’s outcome?

#4 Given the Raptors’ recent strong performances (winning 4 of their last 5 games), can they maintain momentum against a struggling Kings squad?

#5 What role will injuries and game-time decisions (GTD players on both teams) play in shaping the final result?

Tony Renteria does the Sacramento Kings podcast Tuesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.

⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.

Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.

Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.

📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street

Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm

Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in. 

Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram (3) grabs the rebound against Sacramento Kings forward Precious Achiuwa (9) in the first half at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Wed Jan 21, 2026 (AP News photo)

Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026

Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, California

Toronto Raptors 122 (27-19)

Sacramento Kings 109 (12-33)

By Stephen Ruderman

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings came out on the wrong side of a wild seesaw game against the Toronto Raptors, as Sacramento led by 12 points towards the end of the second quarter, but the Raptors came back, and won it by a final of 122-109 to hand the Kings a tough loss to end their seven-game homestand Wednesday night.

The Kings were right back at it after suffering their second-straight loss Tuesday night. The Raptors came up I-80 to Sacramento after a dominant win against the Warriors Tuesday night in San Francisco. Right away, Toronto gave the Kings problems.

Zach LaVine hit a three 20 seconds into the game to open the scoring for the Kings. Sandro Mamukelashvili then hit a three 27 seconds to tie it, and Brandon Ingram hit a jumper to give the Toronto lead.

Toronto jumped out to an eight-point 14-6 lead, just under three minutes into the game, when Immanuel Quickley hit a jumper. The Raptors took two more eight-point leads, and then the Kings had their chance in the latter part of the first quarter.

With the Raptors up 18-10 and 6:25 left in the first quarter, the Kings would start their drive, and very quickly went on a 8-2 run. LaVine threw down a dunk to cut the deficit to just two points at 20-18, and then he hit a three soon afterwards to put the Kings back ahead. The Kings made it a 20-6 run to close out the first quarter, and they led it 30-26.

The Kings kept their momentum going into the second quarter. Russell Westbrook and Malik Monk led the charge for the Kings, who opened up a 12-point-lead as the game approached the half.

The Kings went into the third quarter up 61-52. However, it seemed too good to be true for the Kings to have such a big lead over a strong Raptors’ team. Unfortunately, the third quarter would prove that correct.

Quickley hit a jumper to open the quarter for Toronto. Scottie Barnes was then fouled, and hit both shots from the line to make it 61-56.

Westbrook hit a three to give the Kings a brief reprieve. To give credit to the Kings: they fought tooth and nail to hold onto the lead in the early minutes of the quarter.

However, come the middle of the third quarter, the Raptors’ onslaught was too much. Barnes ran a layup to tie the game at 73-73 with 6:37 to go. Precious Achiuwa threw in a layup to put the kings back ahead.

Quickley was fouled, and hit both shots from the line to tie again. Ingram was also fouled, and he, too, hit both shots from the line. That gave the Raptors a 77-75 lead, their first since the first quarter.

It was a lead that the Raptors would not let go of for the remainder of the game, as they took complete control of the game at the end of the third quarter. Barnes and Jamal Shead let the scoring for Toronto in the third quarter with 14 and 10 points respectively.

The Raptors led 95-82 going to the fourth quarter. They eventually opened up their lead to 111-92 after a dunk by Mamukelashvili with 6:48 to go.

Just as they did last night, the Kings went down fighting. They were able to go on a 13-2 run, and cut Toronto’s lead to eight at 113-105 with 3:27 left after a layup by LaVine.

However, after Ingram immediately followed that up by hitting a jumper, that quickly extinguished any hopes of a miraculous Kings’ comeback. The Raptors won by a final of 121-109.

Ingram and Barnes led the Raptors in scoring with 23 points, and Ingram was money from beyond the arc, as he went 3-for-5 in three-point attempts. Mamukelashvili followed them up with 22 points, and was 8-for-14 in field goal attempts. Quickley scored 18, and Shead scored 15. Shea, like Ingram, was 3-for-5 from downtown.

Westbrook and Levine led the scoring for the Kings with 23 and 19 points respectively. Malik Monk followed them up with 17 points, and Dennis Schroder was right behind Monk with 16.

For the Kings, this is the third-straight loss, as they drop to 12-33. They will now head on the road for what will be a tough 6-game east coast swing. The trip will start Friday against a solid Cavaliers’ team in Cleveland. Tipoff will be at 7:30 p.m. in Cleveland, and 4:30 back home in Sacramento.

Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.

⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.

Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.

Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.

📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street

Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm

Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in. 

Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan (10) defends as the Toronto Raptors guard RJ Barrett (9) reaches for a rebound in the first half at Golden One Center in Sacramento on Wed Nov 6, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Wednesday night, playing their first game since returning from a four-game road trip. Their trip included stops in Utah, Atlanta, Toronto, and Miami, where they went 3-1, improving their season record to 4-3.

The Kings returned home on Wednesday to face the Toronto Raptors at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, with tip-off set for 7 PM PST. The Kings defeated the Raptors 122-107 Wednesday night.

In the first quarter, the Raptors jumped out to an early lead, scoring 33 points, led by Chris Boucher and RJ Barrett, who combined for 22 points. These two quickly made themselves known as “Kings killers” in Sacramento.

The Kings’ offense managed 30 points in the first quarter, led by Keegan Murray with 12 points. The Kings seemed to start slow in both games they had played against the Raptors to open the 2024 season.

In the second quarter, the Kings’ defense picked up the pace, holding the Raptors to only 21 points. Meanwhile, the Kings scored 27 points to take a 57-54 lead into halftime. Solid adjustments made in the second quarter raised the question of whether they could continue to limit the Raptors’ offense in the second half. Keegan Murray led the Kings in first-half scoring with 14 points, while RJ Barrett led the Raptors with 14 points.

In the third quarter, the Kings’ defense faltered again, struggling to find rhythm in defensive shifts, allowing the Raptors to retake the lead. The Kings scored a respectable 32 points, but the Raptors scored 39, leading 93-89 going into the fourth quarter.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings took control. DeMar DeRozan and the Kings’ offense dominated, outscoring the Raptors 33-24 to secure a 122-107 victory and improve to 5-3 on the season. DeRozan led the Kings with 27 points, while RJ Barrett led the Raptors with 23 points in defeat.

Kings head coach Mike Brown had high praise for Keegan Murray, who finished with 22 points and 12 rebounds in the game. “His transformation is all about him and his work ethic. His will and determination to become the best possible player he can be… Look out for Keegan Murray,” Coach Brown said of Murray after the win.

The Kings will aim to keep up the momentum on Friday as they take on the LA Clippers at Golden 1 Center, with tip-off set for 7 PM PST.

Toronto Raptors guard Ochai Agbaji (30) drives on the Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan (10) in first half action at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Sat Nov 2, 2024. (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings (3-3) had a slow start as they took on the Toronto Raptors (2-5) losing in overtime 131-128. The Raptors led for most of the game but Sacramento was able to tie up the game in the fourth quarter as the clock ran out.

They had so many opportunities throughout this game as well as in the overtime but just couldn’t cash in. DeMar DeRozan had a season high of 33 points. Domantas Sabonis had a triple double and Keegan Murray finished with a double double before fouling out in the fourth quarter.

Game recap: It was a most entertaining first quarter with a multitude of lead changes. This game could not have been closer and the game was tied with 2:28 at 24. The Raptors were having some success off the bench with ten points scored.

As the first 12 minutes expired Toronto had dictated the pace of the game and had taken a 37-29 lead. The Raptors bench player Chris Boucher was the only player on the court with double digits .

He had hit most of the final 17 points scored by the Raptors in the quarter finishing with 12 points. Sacramento had poor ball protection in the quarter with five turnovers. Trailing by eight points, the Kings had some work to do.

The Raptors continued to extend their lead going into the second quarter. Injuries to the versatile wing Scottie Barnes and multi-faceted Kelly Olynyk had not hurt the Raptors so far in the game.

The Kings continued to bring up the rear trailing 59-49 with 4:50 left in the first half of play. Sacramento needed some sort of rally in the worst way and they did close a 12 point deficit significantly, cutting the Raptor lead to three points trailing at the half 63-66.

Sacramento had gone on an eight point run. Keegan Murray and De’Aaron Fox had begun to heat up and Malik Monk off the bench was the high score for the team with 15 points.

There was a special event on the floor at halftime. Vince Carter was honored for a remarkable career as he became the first Raptor to have his number 15 jersey retired. The entire arena celebrated this legend, this icon with thunderous applause. An emotional Carter fought back tears as he was introduced in this milestone moment in Raptor history. Canada finally had their very own Superstar when Carter came on the scene.

After the ceremony the third quarter got underway. The start of the quarter was a see-saw until the Raptors went on a run taking a ten-point lead to finish the quarter leading 96-86. They continued to control the pace going into the fourth quarter. Sacramento did pull to within two points but the Raptors went on yet another run and trailing by ten points, the Kings were unable to get over the top in this game.

The Raptors were out-rebounding the Kings, killing them from outside and also barely winning the battle from the field. This young Toronto team was giving the Kings all kinds of trouble and their record hardly indicates the talent that this team has.

They had been very impressive through three quarters. With 2:58 left in the game, the score was 111-110 in favor of the Raptors. The Kings had made their run and needed to sustain their effort and finally take the lead.

Toronto refused to back down taking their lead back to 113-110. Sacramento pushed back trailing by a single point 112-113. When it all was looking good for the Kings, Toronto hit another three, their 16th of the game.

This game was going down to the wire with Sacramento continuing to play catchup as Toronto hit their 17th three. With 28 ticks left on the clock it was a one-point game. Domantas Sabonis made a tip shot to tie up this game at 120 when the clock ran out. The game went into overtime and unfortunately, Keegan Murray had fouled out of the game at the end of the fourth quarter.

The Raptors got a solid start in overtime scoring a couple of buckets taking a 124-120 lead. With nine seconds left on the clock, Toronto’s RJ Barrett missed two free throws and the door was open for the Kings to tie up this game trailing 128-131. De’Aaron Fox closed the door missing a 27-foot jumper and the final score was 131-128 in favor of the Raptors.

This was a tough loss for the Kings. They had 18 turnovers and at times disappointing rebounding coupled with missed shots. DeMar DeRozan bettered his season high of 27 last night finishing with 33 points in this game. De’Aaron Fox scored 24 points and unfortunately missed the shot that counted the most in the final seconds. Malik Monk had 21 points off the bench

Game notes: Scotiabank Arena in Toronto Friday night the Kings hung on for their third win in a row beating the Atlanta Hawks 123-115 and couldn’t win their their fourth win in a row. They took to the court without Kevin Huerter who will be replaced by Doug McDermott in the starting lineup.

Huerter is out of the lineup missing his first game of the season with a non-covid illness. DeMar DeRozan received huge applause from fans in attendance welcoming him back on his former home court. He was a member of the Raptors from 2009-2018.

He had a special moment with former Toronto superstar Vince Carter who played for the Raptors from 1998-2004 and was the first Raptor to have his number retired. That jersey retirement ceremony took place at halftime. As far as the Raptor injury list, Scottie Barnes and Kelly Olynyk did not take the court. Bruce Brown and defender Immanuel Quickley rounded out the list for Toronto.

Monday night, the Kings will be in Miami taking on the Heat. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for 5:15 PM.