Vince Carter’s Toronto Raptors jersey retirement night had everything but a Kings win.
Looking to extend the Kings’ winning streak to four games, DeMar DeRozan’s back-to-back late-game heroics fell short in Sacramento’s 131-128 overtime loss to Toronto on Saturday night at Scotiabank Center.
But not everything was doom and gloom for DeRozan despite a nail-biting loss. It was a bittersweet night for the star forward in his first return to Toronto as a member of the Kings
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DeRozan, selected No. 9 overall by the Raptors in the 2009 NBA Draft, was honored to witness Carter's No. 15 jersey become the first number retired by Toronto.
“It’s one of those things that, for me, in it being a unique situation of having such a close bond to this organization and this city, to play against Vince, to understand the history of Vince here, having a relationship with Vince, having this come full circle, to be here and to witness the incredible night that he had,” DeRozan told reporters.
“It's a surreal moment because every time I come here, I just remember being a 19-year-old kid figuring out life. So just seeing it come full circle this way is special. I’m more than happy that I just got the opportunity to be here to witness it and feel the energy.”
"It's a surreal moment."
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) November 3, 2024
DeMar was honored to be back in Toronto for Vince Carter's jersey retirement 🙌 pic.twitter.com/wbGDkMzBoh
NBA
As Carter, who also represented the Kings during his Hall-of-Fame career, looked on, his former teams delivered a high-pace back-and-forth affair, with Toronto shooting 17 of 37 (45.9 percent) from beyond the arc.
Fighting a 13-point deficit with six minutes left in regulation, the Kings – without guard Kevin Huerter – turned to DeRozan and star backcourt mate De’Aaron Fox for a second consecutive night.
Fox understood the assignment, scoring four of his 24 points in the fourth quarter, while DeRozan, who ended with 33 points and had a noteworthy exchange with rapper Drake, added 10 in the fourth quarter and all 8 of the Kings’ points in overtime.
And although the end result didn’t look like Friday night’s win over the Atlanta Hawks, DeRozan firmly believes his chemistry with Fox is on the right path.
“It’s been great,” DeRozan said. “[We’re] a couple of games in. We still have a lot to learn. We still have a lot of chemistry we can build.
“But as far as it is now, it’s been great. We still have a lot to work on and get comfortable with, but I have the utmost confidence when it comes down to us two that we’re going to be able to figure out at a high level, especially come fourth quarter.”
DeMar is optimistic about his late-game chemistry with De'Aaron 📈 pic.twitter.com/bmnkkAArxz
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) November 3, 2024
Domantas Sabonis earned his third triple-double of the season, surpassing legend Larry Bird for 10th all-time triple-doubles in NBA history. The accomplishment also earned the Kings’ big man praise from coach Mike Brown.
“Domas has been our hub since I’ve been here going on three years now,” Brown told reporters. “As skilled as he is, in terms of shooting, passing and ball handling, you don’t find that in a guy his size. It doesn't surprise me that he has as many as he has because it fits him for who he is.”
"It doesn't surprise me that he has as many as he has."
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) November 3, 2024
Mike Brown lauds Domantas Sabonis after he passed Larry Bird for 10th all-time triple-doubles in NBA history pic.twitter.com/toSPVvt1li
The Kings, who are on their first multi-game road trip of the season, now turn their attention to Monday’s matchup against the Miami Heat.
In the meantime, Sacramento will need all the rest it can get, especially after delivering an overtime spectacle on a former Kings' commemorative night.
