Who's Playing
Matchup: Toronto Raptors vs. Sacramento Kings
Records: Raptors (4-2), Kings (2-5)
Where to Watch
Date: Nov. 7
Time: 6:00 a.m.
TV: NBA League Pass
Location: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto
Game Preview
The Raptors return to the friendly confines of Scotiabank Arena following a loss on the road at Milwaukee. The Raptors are a perfect 3-0 at home this season, winning by an average of 9.7 points per game. This is their last home game until November 18 as Toronto hits the road for a five-game west coast road trip that includes a back-to-back against the Lakers and Clippers.
Kyle Lowry has flown somewhat under the radar with an incredibly strong start to the season and is coming off a valiant effort in that loss to the Bucks in which he scored 36 points on an efficient 11-18 shooting. After averaging just 14.2 points per game last season, Lowry is off to a hot start and is scoring 24.0 points per game which ranks fifth among guards in the Eastern Conference behind only Kyrie Irving, Trae Young, Bradley Beal and Kemba Walker.
Its obviously early but that 24.0 would be a career-high for Lowry whose personal best is 22.4 in 2016-17. It is worth pointing out however that from a scoring perspective this is by far the best start to a season he's ever had through six games.
MORE: Five reasons that LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers are off to a perfect start
Toronto is leaning on its veteran leader in the early going as Lowry currently leads the NBA in minutes per game at 38.9. He's not the only player logging serious time either as Fred VanVleet ranks second in the NBA with 37.8 minutes per game.
Lowry and VanVleet will have their hands full with Sacramento's dynamic backcourt of De'Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield who are trying to lead the Kings back into the thick of the Western Conference after digging themselves into an 0-5 start to the season. Sacramento is looking for its third straight win following victories over the Utah Jazz and New York Knicks.
Perhaps the most surprising aspect of Sacramento's slow start has been the lacklustre performance on the offensive end as they rank just 27th in scoring. With Fox and Hield plus Marvin Bagley and Bogdan Bogdanovic, the Kings entered this season with the potential to be one of the most explosive teams in the NBA. Through seven games, they rank just 27th in offensive efficiency ahead of only the Knicks, Grizzlies and Magic while ranking in the bottom five in pace, assist-to-turnover ratio and free throw attempts.
Injury Report
For the Raptors, Patrick McCaw remains out indefinitely with left knee pain. For the Bucks, Harry Giles is questionable (knee).
Game Notes
- The Raptors have swept the Kings each of the last two seasons and have won four straight in the head-to-head series. The Kings last beat the Raptors on November 20, 2016.
- Pascal Siakam is averaging 26.0 points and shooting 42.4 percent from beyond the 3-point line. Siakam, Karl-Anthony Towns and Brandon Ingram are the only frontcourt players averaging over 25 points per game and shooting over 40 percent from 3.
- Fred VanVleet has recorded at least six assists in a career-long six consecutive games; averaging 7.2 assists during this stretch. This streak doubles his previous best of three straight games with six or more assists (3X - last: Mar. 28 - Apr. 1, 2019)
- Serge Ibaka scored 11 points (3-10 FG, 1-5 3PT, 5-6 FT) in 22 minutes as a reserve Saturday night at Milwaukee. Ibaka has now led (or tied) the bench in scoring in every game this season; averaging 13.8 points. Ibaka averaged 12.2 points in 23 games as a reserve last season.
- OG Anunoby is shooting .455 (10-22) from beyond the arc. He’s made exactly half of his three-point field-goal attempts in each of the last five games which ties the longest streak in Anunoby’s career in which he shot 50 percent or higher from three-point range (Last: Dec. 5-13, 2017).
- The Raptors have made at least 10 three-point field goals in each of their first six games. Toronto currently ranks fourth in the NBA with a .386 three-point shooting percentage.
- Kyle Lowry has scored at least 20 points in five of six games. Dating back to the start of last season, the Raptors are 15-5 whenever Lowry scores 20 or more.
- Toronto has been among the NBA's best passing teams as 61.7 percent of their made shots have been assisted which ranks fifth in the NBA.
Last Time They Played
Date: January 23, 2019
Score: Raptors 120, Kings 105
Raptors: Kyle Lowry — 19 points, 9 assists, 4 rebounds
Kings: Marvin Bagley — 22 points, 10-20 FG, 11 rebounds, 2 blocks