Sacramento (18-25) at Toronto (14-30) 7:00 pm EST
TORONTO (Ticker) -- Ron Artest could not deliver a win in his
debut with the Sacramento Kings. The enigmatic forward hopes
to notch his first victory in Sacramento purple and black when
the Kings visit the Toronto Raptors on Sunday.
A floundering team without an identity, Sacramento took a gamble
on the controversial Artest on Wednesday by acquiring the
former All-Star from Indiana for sharpshooter Peja Stojakovic.
Known for his stingy defense but more so for his problems on and
off the court - including a brawl with fans in Detroit in
November 2004 - Artest had requested a trade from the Pacers
last month and subsequently was placed on the inactive list.
Artest knocked down his first three shot attempts Friday but
struggled for 15 points on just 4-of-15 shooting as the Kings
dropped an 84-74 decision to the Boston Celtics.
Mike Bibby managed just six points for Sacramento, which fell to
1-4 on its six-game road trip.
The Kings hope to conclude their East Coast swing on a winning
note Sunday against a Raptors squad which has dropped four in a
row and six of its last seven.
Toronto hopes to rebound from a 108-87 loss to the Milwaukee
Bucks on Friday.
Chris Bosh scored 21 points to pace five players in double
figures, but the Raptors were outscored, 25-12, in the third
quarter and allowed the Bucks to shoot 58 percent (45-of-77)
from the floor.





