NBA Recap: Sacramento Kings rally back to edge out Toronto Raptors 111-108
Sacramento Kings extended their impressive run at home against the Toronto Raptors as they came from behind in the fourth quarter to clinch the game by three points at 111-108. The Kings, who had only won 42 games in the last two
seasons, put in a spirited effort to earn a hard fought win and are now sitting pretty on 3-1 at the start of the season.
The game started in the favour of their opponents though, as Toronto Raptors began the match in style, running through the defences of their opponents. The score was poised on 14-10 in advantage of Toronto with 4:20 into the first
quarter. This was the point when the Raptors really started to put the heat on their opponents and sprinted to a 23-6 run in the rest of the period to impose an intimidating 33-16 scoreline at the end of the first 12 minutes. Andreas Bargnani and DeMar DeRozan
were in the groove early for the Raptors and they scored 10 points each in the first quarter.
The Sacramento Kings stalled some of the Raptors’ momentum going into the second quarter. Tyreke Evans, the NBA rookie of the year, started the quarter in great tempo. He rallied hard for the Kings netting in 14 points in that
quarter. Luther Head also slipped in six free throws to reduce the Raptor’s lead to 11 points going into the second half. For Toronto, Bargnani and DeRozan again were the leading scorers as they went to the locker room with 17 and 16 points respectively.
The Kings continued to eat away at the Raptors lead going into the second half as the Raptors struggled to maintain their grasp on the match. The Sacramento offense combined well in the third quarter and scored 3 points more than
their opponents to make it an 8-point game going into the final quarter.
The Kings really turned the heat on in the fourth quarter. Thompson scored a jump shot, followed by a three-pointer by Head at the start of the fourth which truncated the Raptors’ lead further as the Kings offense started to zero
in on a crumbling rival defence. DeMarcus Cousins’ layup shot with 6:41 to go levelled the scores at 93 each which really threw the game wide open. The Sacramento Kings were gaining momentum by the second and they raced to 107-99 lead, in front of a fretting
Toronto defence, courtesy an Omri Casspi three-pointer with 1:46 to go.
Things were looking ominous for the Raptors at that point. DeMar made a 21 foot jumper and two free throws followed by a Bargnani three-pointer to close the gap, but their efforts could not help the Raptors cross the line. Beno
Udrih slipped in two free throws for the Kings with 12 seconds remaining, to go three points apart and that was the way things remained till the end of the match.
Tyreke Evans finished the match with 23 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists as he guided the Kings to narrow victory. Omri Casspi, Beno Udrih and DeMarcus Cousins also finished in double figures. For the Raptors, Bargnani and DeMar
put in valiant efforts. Bargnani finished the match with 28 points and DeMar chipped in with 24 points and four rebounds.
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