Barrett’s Scintillating Performance Fuels Raptors’ Victory in Overtime Drama

RJ Barrett turned in an impressive 31-point performance while Chris Boucher hit a season-high 24, propelling the Toronto Raptors to break their four-game slump with a 131-128 overtime victory over the Sacramento Kings on Saturday night. Ochai Agbaji of Toronto matched his season’s best with 22 points, and Gradey Dick chipped in with an equal amount.

Sabonis’ Triple-Double Not Enough for Kings

Domantas Sabonis stood out with 17 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 assists, securing his 60th career triple-double. However, his stellar performance fell short of keeping the Kings’ three-game winning streak intact. Former Raptor DeMar DeRozan, now with Sacramento, put up 33 points but failed to connect on a pair of 3-pointers in the final minute of overtime that could have tied the game.

Crucial Moments Define Thrilling Encounter

Following DeRozan’s first miss, Barrett couldn’t make the most of his two free throw attempts with just nine seconds left. Sacramento’s last possession saw both DeRozan and De’Aaron Fox fail to hit their 3-point attempts. Fox, after scoring 14 of his 24 points in the final quarter, couldn’t add to his tally in overtime.

Kings’ Malik Monk contributed 21 points off the bench, while Keegan Murray ended the game with 16 points and 10 rebounds but fouled out. The Raptors celebrated their victory further by retiring former star Vince Carter’s No. 15 jersey during a halftime ceremony.

Key Takeaways and What’s Next

Despite Fox’s struggles in the first three quarters (3 for 11), he recovered in the final quarter to make 5 of 9 attempts. However, his 3-point game was off, missing all of his 11 attempts. On the Raptors’ side, this victory marked their first in three games since losing All-Star Scottie Barnes to a right orbital fracture – an injury expected to sideline him for at least three weeks.

The highlight of the game came when Barrett sank one of two free throws with just over 10 seconds left in the fourth quarter, giving Toronto the lead. Sabonis managed to tip in his own missed putback with three seconds remaining, pushing the game into overtime.

The Raptors’ win was also underscored by their season-high 17 3-pointers. Looking ahead, the Kings will be heading to Miami on Monday, the same night the Raptors kick off a five-game road trip in Denver.

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