Three takeaways from Kings 113-95 loss to Toronto

Jan 26, 2023 - 6:52 PM

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The Sacramento Kings closed out their four-game home stand with a thud, falling 113-95 to the Toronto Raptors.

Leading by eight points at the half, Toronto controlled the second half, not falling victim to any Sacramento run. Overall, Toronto’s length presented problems for Sacramento’s usually elite offense on Wednesday,

This loss was the first game in several weeks that Sacramento didn’t compete in a major way.

Here are three takeaways from Wednesday’s loss:

Keegan Murray continues to look like a seasoned veteran

Murray continues to impress just about every time he steps on the floor at this point. Once again, Murray was super solid, finishing with 16 points on ten shots, just a few days after dropping a career-high 29 points in the team’s win over the Grizzlies.

Not only is Murray continuing to be on fire from three, but he’s also starting to flash more ability to drive to the rim. In the first quarter, Murray had an impressive drive to the rim where he completely broke down the defense.

Watching Murray’s game-to-game growth as a rookie continues to be a fun watch.

Domantas Sabonis had his worst game of the season

Whether it was Toronto’s team length or just an off night, Sabonis was abysmal Wednesday, finishing with the same number of points as turnovers (9). Toronto’s ability to throw multiple lengthy guys at him and hard double him with the ball in his hands seemed to bother him on Wednesday.

Most teams can’t throw this same size and length at Sabonis, but teams could look to emulate this down the stretch when Sacramento is playing important games in April.

The Kings’ bench is hard to trust from game to game

After totaling 57 points in Sacramento’s win on Monday, the Kings’ bench managed just 23 points on Wednesday. No Kings bench player made more than two field goals, and it felt like no one brought their A-game.

The Kings really need Malik Monk to break out of his shooting slump and return to the guy who, earlier in the season, was consistently an energizer with his athleticism and three-point shooting.

Nearing the trade deadline, it would behoove newly-extended Kings GM Monte McNair to get this team some additional bench depth for the second half of the season.