Kyle Lowry outduels De’Aaron Fox to lead Toronto Raptors to 118-113 win over Kings
Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry was whistled for his fifth foul just 13 seconds into the fourth quarter. Coach Nick Nurse elected to leave him in the game, but Sacramento couldn’t capitalize.
The Kings couldn’t draw another foul on Lowry and certainly couldn’t stop him. Lowry played the entire fourth quarter, finishing with 30 points, eight assists and five rebounds to outduel De’Aaron Fox in a 118-113 victory over the Kings on Sunday evening at Golden 1 Center.
“We were trying to go at him,” Kings coach Luke Walton said. “As soon as (Lowry) picked it up, I pulled Fox and (Bogdan Bogdanovic) aside and I said, ‘That’s five. Let’s make sure we’re trying to get him his sixth.’ They did a good job of not fouling and he hurt us down the stretch.”
Norman Powell scored a game-high 31 points for the Raptors (45-18), who are second in the Eastern Conference. Pascal Siakam had 23 points and eight rebounds.
Fox scored 18 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter for the Kings (28-36), who are now tied for ninth with the New Orleans Pelicans, four games behind the Memphis Grizzlies for the eighth seed in the Western Conference.
Alex Len came off the bench to post 15 points and seven rebounds. Kent Bazemore had 15 points and six rebounds while Nemanja Bjelica finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
The Kings were outscored 21-9 over the first eight minutes of the game, but Buddy Hield and Bazemore led the charge as Sacramento’s bench staged a 13-1 run to tie the game going into the second quarter. The Kings’ bench outscored Toronto’s bench 51-7 and helped the team overcome slow starts to the first and third quarters.
The Kings took a 29-28 lead on a basket by Len and went up by eight on a monster dunk by Len with 5:18 to play in the half, but the Raptors battled back to take a 51-50 lead into the halftime break.
The Kings momentarily reclaimed the lead at the start of the second half, but the Raptors responded with an 18-6 run to go ahead 69-58 on a 3-pointer by Siakam. The Kings looked like they might fade away against one of the Eastern Conference’s top teams, but Bazemore and Harrison Barnes buried back-to-back 3-pointers to spark a 14-2 run that cut Toronto’s lead to three late in the third period.
The Kings carried that momentum into the fourth. They got within one on a basket by Len and went up 80-79 when Bazemore drove to the basket for an emphatic dunk. Lowry picked up his fifth foul with 11:47 to play in the fourth quarter, but Nurse left him in the game.
Lowry scored the team’s next 10 points to put Toronto up 89-84, but the Kings came back to tie the game on a basket by Bogdanovic with 4:59 remaining. The teams exchanged leads a number of times in the final minutes.
Fox certainly did all he could do to help his team earn another victory after the Kings beat the Portland Trail Blazers on the road Friday night. Fox drilled two 3-pointers and converted all three free throws after being fouled on another 3-point attempt. Fox then converted a three-point play to tie the game after drawing a foul on a putback basket with 34.3 seconds to play, but Siakam answered with a big basket and a couple of free throws to help the Raptors hang on for the win.
Big ovation for Holmes
Kings center Richaun Holmes received a rousing reception when he checked into the game for the first time with 4:21 to play in the opening period. He got another huge ovation when he ran the floor for a chase-down block to prevent a layup by Norman Powell late in the first quarter.
Holmes returned in Friday’s win over the Portland Trail Blazers after missing 25 games with a torn right labrum. He had not appeared in a home game since suffering the injury against the Golden State Warriors on Jan. 6.
Sick and injured
The Raptors listed center Marc Gasol (hamstring) and guard Fred VanVleet (shoulder) as questionable going into the game. Gasol was declared active after going through pregame warm-ups, but VanVleet was ruled out.
The Kings were without forwards Marvin Bagley III and Jabari Parker.
Bagley has missed the past 21 games after aggravating a midfoot sprain that previously caused him to miss eight games. The Kings are expected to provide an update on his condition later this week.
Parker was ruled out shortly before the game due to a stomach illness.
Injury report
Raptors: OUT — Fred VanVleet (shoulder); Dewan Hernandez (ankle).
Kings: OUT — Marvin Bagley III (foot); Jabari Parker (illness).
Kings upcoming schedule
March 11 vs. New Orleans, 7 p.m.
March 15 vs. Brooklyn, 6 p.m.
March 17 vs. Dallas, 7 p.m.
March 19 at Houston, 5 p.m.
March 21 at Orlando, 4 p.m.
This story was originally published March 8, 2020 at 8:47 PM.
