Raptors vs. Kings Game Thread: Seeking six in Sacramento

“There’s nothing to do in Sacramento.”

This is both a recent diatribe by Raptors colour commentator Jack Armstrong and one of the central plot points from the Oscar-worthy film Lady Bird. In both examples, the city of Sacramento is where California’s glitz skids off, where fun goes to take a nap.

The central characters must make peace with their temporary home. Indeed, Armstrong found some fun watching yesterday’s TFC championship, nearly earning a viral moment before being cruelly cut off by Instagram story constraints.

And Lady Bird... well, just see the movie. There is peace, in the end.

The Kings are once again representative of Sacramento’s doldrums in 2017-18. They’re no longer tied to the dramatics of DeMarcus Cousins, instead bringing together a motley crew of veterans and youngsters with the hope of creating chemistry. With a record of 8-17, it could be going better.

Meanwhile, on the lighter side of life — a.k.a. with the Toronto Raptors — the team is seeking a sixth straight win, and a second win on this road trip after eking out a win in Memphis.

They’ll see some familiar faces in this one, including future jersey retiree Vince Carter, and a red hot Zach Randolph — who scored 35 points against the Pelicans on Friday. For a Raptors team heading into a stretched-out back-to-back, though (they play in Los Angeles late Monday), the emphasis will be on business before continuing south.

Indeed, the dominance of the West has been greatly exaggerated in this young NBA season. Let’s see if the Raptors can continue to make hay against the bottom half of that touted group.

Check out Daniel Reynolds’ preview from just hours ago, then get into the comments.

Where to Watch:

Sportsnet One, 3:30 PM EST

Lineups:

Toronto - Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, OG Anunoby, Serge Ibaka, Jonas Valanciunas

Sacramento - [Ed. Note: third attempt to guess it right] De’Aaron Fox, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Garrett Temple, Skal Labissiere, Zach Randolph

Injuries:

Toronto - Delon Wright (shoulder), Lucas Noguiera (calf)

Sacramento - Harry Giles (knee), George Hill, Willie Cauley-Stein