Kings at Raptors
DeMar DeRozan looks to continue a historic scoring streak when he leads the Toronto Raptors into a matchup with the visiting Sacramento Kings on Sunday. With 34 points in Friday's 96-87 win over the Miami Heat, DeRozan has recorded five straight 30-point efforts out of the gate, becoming the first player to accomplish the feat since Michael Jordan did it six times in a row to begin the 1986-87 season.
"Now he's making those same shots and he's playing with a tremendous amount of confidence, mixing it up with getting it to the basket," coach Dwane Casey told reporters after the victory. "In the post-up game, in the pick-and-roll game, he's doing the same things (as before). But he's just far more efficient in what he's doing than he was in the past." The 27-year-old leads the NBA in scoring (35.8) and he has utilized only one 3-pointer along the way, taking his game closer to the rim and shooting at a 55.1-percent clip. He should have plenty of chances against a Sacramento team that is 0-4 on its five-game road trip after a 117-91 loss in Milwaukee on Saturday. Former Raptor Rudy Gay sat out with a rib injury while Anthony Tolliver was out with a knee issue.
TV: 6 p.m. ET, CSN California (Sacramento), Sportsnet ONE (Toronto)
ABOUT THE KINGS (2-5): With Gay's 22.5 points on the bench Saturday night, reserve Garrett Temple did his best to fill the void. After scoring a total of two points in 43 minutes over his last two games, the veteran shooting guard produced 19 in 28 minutes versus Milwaukee. Temple hit 5-of-6 3-pointers in the loss, a nice boost for a team that entered Saturday ranked 23rd in the league in made 3-pointers per game (7.2).
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (4-1): As DeRozan sits in the spotlight, reserve forward Terrence Ross has been a solid contributor off the bench, scoring 35 points in 39 minutes over the last two games. DeRozan, Ross and center Jonas Valanciunas — three of the team's top four scorers — are all shooting at least 52 percent from the field. Sunday represents Toronto's last game before a 10-game gauntlet that includes eight games on the road — including visits to Oklahoma City, Charlotte, Cleveland and the Los Angeles Clippers — and a home game against Golden State.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Sacramento swept last season's two-game series and owns a 24-15 advantage all time.
2. Raptors SF Pascal Siakam has yet to attempt a foul shot in 84 minutes this season.
3. Toronto is 3-0 when DeRozan and PG Kyle Lowry combine for at least 50 points.