Toronto Raptors vs. Sacramento Kings Pick & Prediction NOVEMBER 6th 2024

Preview and Prediction

The Toronto Raptors inflicted Sacramento's sole defeat on a four-game journey, and the home team will be seeking swift retribution when the two sides meet again on Wednesday in the West Coast.

Small forward RJ Barrett delivered an impressive performance with 31 points and crucial plays in the final moments as Toronto narrowly beat Sacramento 131-128 in overtime on Saturday.

However, Barrett couldn't replicate his heroics two nights later in Denver, missing a 27-foot shot over Russell Westbrook at the buzzer, allowing the Nuggets to escape with a 121-119 win.

Gradey Dick, who has emerged as a strong contender for the Most Improved Player award, scored 26 points and has significantly increased his scoring average from 8.5 points per game last season to 21.6 points in the first eight games of the 2024-25 season for the Raptors.

Despite his impressive performance, the second-year guard will regret three costly turnovers in the final four minutes of the game.

According to Toronto coach Darko Rajakovic, the team had addressed the issue of turnovers, but in the fourth quarter, they struggled to handle the pressure and ultimately lost the game.

The Raptors had an 11-point lead over Denver with less than six minutes remaining, but center Jakob Poeltl fouled out in just 23 seconds, allowing the Nuggets to make a comeback.

Before fouling out, the 7-foot Austrian had put up 24 points and 11 rebounds against the formidable Nikola Jokic.

Rajakovic praised Poeltl's performance, saying he did an excellent job playing in the pocket, connecting with his teammates, and being active on the boards. He also added that Poeltl had a great game against one of the best players in the world.

Poeltl will need to continue his strong performance against Kings' big man Domantas Sabonis, who recorded his 60th career triple-double in their last meeting and surpassed Larry Bird for 10th on the all-time list. Sabonis' successful tip-in sent the game into overtime.

In their most recent game against Miami on Monday, Sabonis' putback off an offensive rebound with 0.7 seconds left on the clock secured Sacramento's 111-110 victory over the Heat.

The Kings trailed for most of the game, but a heated discussion in the locker room during halftime helped them turn things around and finish their road trip with a 3-1 record.

Sabonis acknowledged that emotions were running high, especially in the last game of a long trip, and everyone wanted to secure the win and go home.

Point guard De'Aaron Fox led the Kings with 28 points, while DeMar DeRozan added 26 points.

Sacramento coach Mike Brown praised his team's resilience and said that challenging each other and holding each other accountable is what makes a great team. He also added that wins like this only add to the team's belief and confidence.

PREDICTION

Toronto Raptors

113

125

Sacramento Kings

Toronto Raptors vs. Sacramento Kings Recap JAN 25TH 2023