Raptors @ Kings, Nov. 6 Takeaways: Injuries take toll in 4th quarter unravelling
Mitchell had his best game as a Raptor while Boucher lit it up again
Toronto remained winless on the road (0-4) and dropped to 2-7 on the season after Sacramento pulled away late to secure a 122-107 victory.
The wheels came off in the fourth quarter, where the Kings outscored the Raptors 33-14. Damontas Sabonis finished with 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists while DeMar DeRozan scored 27.
Immanuel Quickley didn’t play once again, but making matters worse was Ja’Kobe Walter and Jonathan Mogbo leaving the game and not returning due to injuries (more below).
Next up will be the L.A. Clippers on Saturday, who improved to 4-4 in the early season after cruising to a win over the Joel Embiid-less Philadelphia 76ers.
I’ve got four main takeaways from this game:
Mitchell revenge game energy on point
Davion Mitchell was very much ready to go against his former team, racking up his first 20-point game of the season on 8-of-11 shooting to go along with six assists and just one turnover. In the video below, you can see just how much he prefers to attack going right and you would think the Kings of all teams would look to prevent that.
With Gradey Dick in foul trouble, the Raptors needed scoring from somewhere else and it was great to see Mitchell step up to the plate. You don’t expect this on a regular basis from Mitchell and so the when mattered on this occasion even if it came in another loss.
While De’Aaron Fox finished 5-for-17 on the night, it was more an off-night for Fox missing some looks he usually makes. Toronto was also switching a lot of actions in this one and so some of the misses came against the size of Jonathan Mogbo, Chris Boucher, and even Jakob Poeltl at the basket.
Agbaji shooting with (too much?) confidence
Entering this game, Ochai Agbaji was shooting 46.2% from three. He hit 11 of his 17 attempts from the corner but had been just 1-for-9 on non-corner threes. It does speak to the confidence he’s playing with right now, though, that he showed no hesitation in attempting non-corner threes in this game.
Agbaji took seven 3-pointers in all, with only one attempt coming from the corner (which he missed). He went 2-for-6 with his above-the-break threes, both makes coming in quick time when the Raptors were holding off the Kings in the third quarter.
To me, this was situational. Gradey Dick was in foul trouble (not to mention 0-for-5 from three) and that further encouraged the Kings to send two at R.J. Barrett and the result was open looks for Agbaji in non-corner positions. Barrett was also 1-for-5 from three in the game so you really needed to try and get threes from somewhere else among the starting five.
Do you want to see him take these shots once Immanuel Quickley and Scottie Barnes are healthy? No. If he can maintain the ratio he had entering this game of 65:35 for his corner to non-corner 3-point attempts while Quickley and Scottie are out then you live with it. You probably want it closer to 80:20 once everyone’s healthy.
Call Boucher ‘Le Roi’ when he plays the Kings
A childhood fan of Vince Carter, Chris Boucher had plenty of energy for the Kings on Carter jersey retirement night with 23 points that included a throwdown with Carter’s trademark revving up the engine celebration.
Boucher had the hot hand once again in Sacramento, scoring 17 points in 24 minutes including three triples in the first quarter that were vital with Dick in foul trouble early. Boucher averages 12.2 points against the Kings for his career, which is his third-highest mark among all teams (behind Dallas and Oklahoma City). He’s shot 7-for-13 from three in the two games against Sacramento this season and 5-for-23 in the other seven games combined.
We know Boucher for his streaky 3-point shooting, putbacks on offensive rebounds, and thunderous dunks running the lane or on the roll. Here’s a nice backdoor cut and reverse layup he had while Jakob Poeltl was operating at the elbow:
The 31-year-old deserves a lot of credit for the way he’s figured into Darko Rajakovic’s plans this season, a year after being in the dog house and a breakup seeming inevitable. His experience, energy, and competitive spirit are invaluable on such a young roster.
Mogbo loves the little things
You just have to love Jonathan Mogbo’s natural basketball instincts. He had four offensive rebounds against the Kings and to say he has a nose for the ball would be an understatement. Mogbo is a detection dog and rebounds as well as smart passes are his drugs. Don’t you dare let him get a look at a loose ball or open passing lane.
He’s creating extra possessions, helping the Raptors to the second-best offensive rebound rate in the league, and then also helping the the team maximize those opportunities by other finishing himself or finding an open teammate. The best of the lot below is a dish to a cutting Ja’Kobe Walter after showing great patience when crowded around the basket:
Mogbo, unfortunately, headed back to the locker room in the fourth quarter, noticeably limping with the aid of a member of the training staff. He was diagnosed with a right hip pointer and did not return.
Notes
Ja’Kobe Walter exited the game with about three minutes remaining in the third quarter. He ran into a Sabonis screen on the defensive end, his right shoulder absorbing the brunt of it and he headed straight to the locker room. Walter missed training camp, pre-season and the first five games of the season due to a sprained right shoulder.
Gradey Dick was on an absolute tear the last few games and the sophomore was due for an off-night. Dick picked up three fouls in the first quarter, then his fourth early in the third quarter and just never found a rhythm. He finished with seven points on 3-for-10 shooting including 0-for-5 from three in 24 minutes.