The Toronto Raptors’ consistency issues persist, and veteran guard Fred VanVleet said the line between being serious about losses and not sinking into negativity is now thin.
The Raptors spewed a 16-point lead en route to a 124-123 loss to the Sacramento Kings, marking the first time this season they’ve lost three straight.
“It’s up to that individual character to come in and have short-term memory but obviously understand that’s not okay, come in and try to improve. Work on your game. Watch a movie and lock it,” VanVleet said. “But I believe in this group and we will find out.”
De’Aaron Fox scored 27 points and Malik Monk had 24 for Sacramento (15-12), in a heated game that saw the Kings play without coach Mike Brown for most of the second half. Former Raptor Terence Davis contributed with 19.
Anunoby, who has a career year on the defensive, missed his first game of the season in Sunday’s 111-99 loss to Orlando with a sprained left hip, which should keep him out. at least a week. With Thaddeus Young starting for Anunoby, the Raptors used a different league-leading 15th lineup this season.
After a pair of ugly losses in Orlando, the Raptors led by as much as 16 points in the first half, in part because of their ball protection – they had no turnovers, scoring only the second time in the franchise history that they went one half without returning the ball.
Brown was ejected with 9:09 left in the third quarter when he angrily rushed an official after a whistle. A few players and assistant coaches held him back. Fox was also slapped with a technical foul.
WATCH | The Raptors lose 3 times in a row for the first time this season with a loss against the Kings:
De’Aaron Fox scores 27 points in Sacramento’s 124-123 win over Toronto, which loses three straight games for the first time this season.
While it was a five-point swing for Toronto — VanVleet scored on all three technical, then both free throws for a 73-64 lead — it gave the travel-weary Kings some life, coming out of a 123 -103 loss to Philadelphia the night before.
“We only had to do it to [Brown]You know? said Kings striker Domantas Sabonis. [Brown] at our back. It was a big moment. I feel like it kind of changed the whole vibe.”
The Raptors led 93-88 to start the fourth, but the Kings closed the gap and took the lead on Monk’s three-point shot with 7:44 left. Trailing by four, Barnes drilled a three past the Kings bench to make it a one-point game.
Again down by five in a final minute filled with free throws, VanVleet scored twice in the final 47 seconds to bring Toronto within two points. Fox had just one free throw with 5.9 remaining, then VanVleet’s three-pointer bounced off the rim.
“I feel like we play two or three quarters of good basketball and then we just dropped in one of the quarters,” Barnes said.
The Kings scored on 17 three-pointers to Toronto’s six and edged the Raptors 50-39.
“It’s going to be a good movie day [Thursday] to see why we give up shots we gave up: 17 threes, more often than not they feel like they’re wide open and on pace, so we have to fix that,” VanVleet said. “It’s hard to winning that way, when you give up as many threes and don’t spawn or make those on the other end.”
“We should have won this one tonight”
The Raptors hadn’t won or lost more than two in a row this season before Wednesday.
“I feel like we, as a collective group, as a unit, as an organization, we’re just trying to stay positive,” Barnes said. “It was a very winnable game, I feel like we should have won this one tonight.”
The Raptors extended their lead to 16 points in the second quarter, but the Kings fought back to take a one-point lead on a Keegan Murray three 1:17 before halftime. The Raptors took a 62-59 lead at the break.
Raptors forward Juancho Hernangomez returned after missing four games with a sprained right ankle. The Raptors remain without Precious Achiuwa (ankle) and Otto Portis Jr. (dislocated toe). Canadian singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes was at the game.
The Raptors continue that three-game homestand when they host the Brooklyn Nets on Friday and the Golden State Warriors on Sunday.
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