Toronto Raptors (10-1) @ Sacramento Kings (6-4)
When: Wednesday, November 11, 10 P.M. ET
Where: Golden 1 Center
Leading into tonight’s game:
Injury Report: For the Raptors, Kawhi Leonard (left ankle soreness) is listed as questionable and Norman Powell (left shoulder subluxation) is out. Leonard has missed the previous two games with left ankle soreness after leaving the floor in the final two minutes of the team’s victory in Phoenix in Nov. 2. Powell sustained a left shoulder subluxation shortly after checking into the game against the Utah Jazz on Monday night. For the Kings, Bogdan Bogdanovic (left knee post procedure recovery) will be out.
One more: After taking care of business in the first three games of this four-game trip, the Raptors are hoping for the 4-0 sweep before returning to Scotiabank Arena to host the Knicks on Saturday afternoon. Through the first three games, the Raptors are outscoring opponents by an average of +12.0 points. Toronto is tied with Golden State for the league’s best record at 10-1. This is the best start in franchise history through 11 games.
OG effort: OG Anunoby scored a season-high 17 points in Utah, shooting 7-for-13 from the floor, including 3-for-5 from beyond the three-point line. He played 25 minutes in his third start of the season. After a solid rookie campaign, Anunoby is averaging 7.8 points while shooting 45 percent from the floor and 33 percent from beyond the arc in 24 minutes per game this season.
Extra Assists
Power Serge: Serge Ibaka has been rolling this season and is shooting a blistering 23-for-25 in Toronto’s previous two games. First, there was the 15-for-17 night against the Los Angeles Lakers, where he finished with a career-high 34 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and two steals. He followed that up — on a back-to-back — with an 8-for-8 shooting night in Utah, finishing with 17 points, five rebounds and an assist in just 14 minutes of action.
Buoyant back-to-back: The Raptors moved to 10-1 on the season thanks to a dominant 124-111 road win in Utah on the second night of a back-to-back. The Raptors were without Kawhi Leonard (left ankle soreness), and lost Norman Powell in the second quarter, but still finished the game shooting 57 percent from the floor, 39 percent from three and 93 percent from the free-throw line. Though three quarters, the team posted 60/45/91 shooting percentages from the floor. Six players reached double figures with OG Anunoby, Kyle Lowry, Serge Ibaka and Fred VanVleet each scoring 17 points, Pascal Siakam adding 16 points and Jonas Valanciunas adding 11 points. From start to finish, Monday’s victory was the most complete, impressive victory the team has had this season.
Racking it up: Kyle Lowry recorded his eighth double-double in 11 games on Monday, finishing with 17 points and 11 assists to go with seven rebounds and two steals in 29 minutes. This was Lowry’s ninth consecutive double-digit assist game, pushing his league-leading average to 11.6 assists per game. He is the only player in the league to average double-digit assists.