National Basketball Association
Toronto 102, Sacramento 87
When: 3:30 PM ET, Sunday, December 10, 2017
Where: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, California
Officials: #34 Kevin Cutler, #55 Bill Kennedy, #40 Leon Wood
Attendance: 17583

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The Toronto Raptors are rolling amid their longest winning streak since March and will wake up Monday morning with the third-best record in the Eastern Conference.

Despite that, coach Dwane Casey can't wait to see what his team does when it becomes more consistent.

"Consistency is something we're fighting for," Casey said after the Raptors dispatched the Sacramento Kings 102-87 at Golden 1 Center in his 500th game as the team's coach. "We're trying to scratch at it."

Casey was not real pleased that his team allowed an early 15-point lead to evaporate by the end of the first half. He was considerably happier that the Raptors (17-7) responded to losing the lead by outscoring Sacramento 13-3 afterward en route to a 14-point third-quarter lead that the Kings couldn't reduce below seven the rest of the way.

"I don't think our coach is ever happy," guard Kyle Lowry joked. "But the thing about our coach is that he's always hard on us. He wants us to be a championship-caliber team."

The Raptors are averaging 117 points per contest during their winning streak and have topped 100 in 12 consecutive games. They reached the figure against Sacramento despite making only 45 percent of their shots from the floor and missing 26 of 37 attempts from 3-point range.

But DeMar DeRozan scored 13 of his game-high 25 points in the third quarter, and Serge Ibaka added 20 points to help Toronto find enough offense. Lowry finished with 15 points on only 4-for-17 shooting and also contributed 12 rebounds.

He also drew two charging fouls to take away points from Sacramento.

"He knew he wasn't making shots, but I thought his rebounds, his charges, digging out steals, those types of things were huge," Casey said. "That type of energy that he brings to the table, you can't put a number on it."

DeRozan went over the 12,000-point milestone for his career, joining Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas), Tony Parker (San Antonio), Manu Ginobili (San Antonio), Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City) and Stephen Curry (Golden State) as the only active players to surpass that mark while playing for one team.

Zach Randolph scored 19 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to pace the Kings (8-18), but Sacramento lost its third straight home game. Randolph is averaging 23.8 points per contest over the Kings' past five and has three straight double-doubles.

"He's been fantastic," coach Dave Joerger said. "He puts us on his shoulders, and he's playing well and making shots from the perimeter. (It) gives our guys confidence that we can stay in games."

Buddy Hield added 17 points off the bench for Sacramento, and the Kings' reserves outscored Toronto's 41-28 in a matchup of two of the best reserve units in the NBA.

The 12:30 p.m. PT tip marked the earliest game in Sacramento since Feb. 1, 2009, and the Kings seemed to be affected. They allowed the game's first 10 points and fell behind 17-2 in the opening period. Halfway through the second period, the Kings had regained the lead 36-35. But Lowry's four-point play started the 13-3 spurt that put Toronto back up comfortably.

Sacramento rookie guard De'Aaron Fox struggled through one of the worst games of his inaugural season. Fox did not score until the fourth quarter and finished with six points in 23 minutes. He also committed seven turnovers.

"Sometimes, that can just be general fatigue," Joerger said. "You know, travelling around, flying around, playing a bunch of games and you're 19 years old. ... There were some turnovers there that you don't see very often."

JaKarr Sampson contributed 11 points off the bench for the Kings.

NOTES: Kings G George Hill was on the Sacramento's inactive list, because of personal reasons, the team said. C Willie Cauley-Stein missed his third straight game with a strained lower back. The Kings have not said whether Cauley-Stein will be back for Tuesday's home game against Phoenix. ... Toronto coach Dwane Casey coached his 700th game for the Raptors. His 278 victories as a coach also are a franchise-best. "It just means you're old," Casey joked after the game. ... F Skal Labissiere, G Justin Jackson and G Malachi Richardson were recalled from the Reno Bighorns of the G League before the game. Labissiere had six points and six rebounds in his 11th start of the season, while Jackson played 33 minutes and scored three points. Richardson did not get off the bench. ... Raptors G DeMar DeRozan is one of only 11 players in NBA history to score 12,000 points while playing for one team.
Top Game Performances
 
Toronto   Sacramento
DeMar DeRozan 25 Scoring Zach Randolph 19
DeMar DeRozan 9 Assists Justin Jackson 3
Kyle Lowry 12 Rebounds Zach Randolph 11
DeMar DeRozan 7 Free Throws Made Frank Mason 4
CJ Miles 5 Steals De'Aaron Fox 2
Serge Ibaka 1 Blocks Jakarr Sampson 3
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Toronto 102 44.8 11-37 13-19 22 44 2 8 13
Sacramento 87 47.9 10-23 7-14 15 42 6 7 21
Upcoming Games
  • Sacramento will play their next game at home against Phoenix. The Kings have a W/L % of .125 after a win and .389 after a loss.
  • Toronto will play their next game on the road against L.A. Clippers. The Raptors have a W/L % of .706 after a win and .714 after a loss.