Kings Crush Raps
Posted November 12, 2006 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It’s understandable for Raptors fans to be excited about their new-look club early in the 2006-07 season. But before they start talking NBA championship, they should probably come to terms with the fact that the improving club still has a long way to go.
That was proven Sunday night, as the Raps (2-4) started their five-game West Coast road swing by suffering a lopsided 107-92 loss at the hands of the Sacramento Kings.
Granted, the Raptors made it very hard on themselves in this one, digging a big hole in the first quarter that would prove impossible to climb out of.
Kevin Martin also had a big hand in things, as he led the way for the Kings with 26 points, and the emerging talent out of Western Carolina seemed to maneuver through the porous Toronto defence with ease.
And he wasn’t alone. The same could easily be said for Kings starters Ron Artest and Mike Bibby, who poured in 23 and 21 points respectively.
Shareef-Abdur Rahim added 18 for Sacramento, which put up an impressive 36 points in the first quarter alone.
None of the Raptors were quite so successful. Chris Bosh led the team in scoring as he almost always does, this time dropping 19 points to go with seven rebounds. Morris Peterson added 18 in the losing cause.
Toronto’s next test comes Tuesday, when they visit Oakland to take on the Golden State Warriors. They then have dates with the Los Angeles Lakers, the Denver Nuggets and the Utah Jazz before heading home.
