Running with the Champs.
The Kings went down big early, but fought their way back on the road Wednesday against the defending NBA champions. In the end, the Toronto Raptors made plays when they needed it and came away with a 124-120 victory.
Kyle Lowry and Pascal Siakam put up big numbers for the Raptors' starting unit, and Serge Ibaka scored 21 points off coach Nick Nurse's bench.
Here are three takeaways as the Kings had their two-game win streak snapped and dropped to 2-6 to start the season.
Let it fly
Sports
The Raptors left the Kings open on the perimeter all game long, daring them to shoot it from deep. That is exactly what Sacramento did.
The Kings took 44 3-point attempts, tying a franchise record with 20 makes.
Bogdan Bogdanovic knocked down 6-of-11 from beyond the arc, Buddy Hield went 5-for-7 and five other Kings players hit at least one 3-pointer.
Barnes goes big
Harrison Barnes is quietly building some momentum. The veteran forward played a team-high 38 minutes Wednesday and made the most of his time on the floor.
Needing a presence inside, the Kings routinely dropped the ball into Barnes down low. Barnes finished with 26 points on 7-of-14 shooting. He was physical against the Raptors' big front line, hitting 8-of-10 from the line.
Barnes chipped in four rebounds, two assists and a block, and he didn't turn the ball over once.
[RELATED: Why Hield has such high hopes for Fox's bright NBA future]
Loose handles
De'Aaron Fox came into the evening averaging a career-worst 3.6 turnovers per game through the first seven contests. That number took another hit against the Raptors.
In 34 minutes of action, Fox turned the ball over seven times. He was sloppy with the ball from the opening tip, and it didn't improve as the game went on.
Coach Luke Walton is asking a lot of his young point guard, but Fox has to do a better job of valuing the ball. Fox still managed to finish the evening with 17 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.
