Why Raptors' Loss vs. Kings Isn’t the Season-Ender It Looks Like

The Toronto Raptors are feeling the pressure after losing to the Sacramento Kings 123-115 in front of their own fans at Scotiabank Arena.

The Raptors had a lot going against them in the game, with several players out due to injury and playing on the second night of a back-to-back. Despite the obstacles, the Raptors were playing one of the worst teams in the league in the Kings and it's a game they should have won.

The Raptors simply didn't bring their best against the Kings, which is virtually unacceptable at this point in the season with the playoffs only a few weeks away and the need to pick up a win at an all-time high.

“Really, every game comes down to are we going to play to our standard or not,” Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic said h/t Sportsnet reporter Michael Grange.

“… That’s a daily fight, that’s a daily commitment to those things, so we’re really focusing on that and enjoying the process. We’re not looking forward to the post-season and like, hey, that’s the end goal.”

Raptors Loss May Cost Them in the Long Run, But There's Hope

Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes shakes hands with Sacramento Kings forward Precious Achiuwa. | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

The loss puts the Raptors at 42-34 on the season, which is a tie for sixth place with the Philadelphia 76ers, who beat the Washington Wizards as part of Wednesday's slate.

The Sixers have the tiebreaker over the Raptors, so they are in possession of the sixth seed while the Raptors move down to seventh. The Atlanta Hawks also pulled out a win to get them to 44-33, which puts them 1.5 games ahead of the Raptors as they hold the number five seed.

Considering the fact that the top six teams are safe from the play-in tournament but seventh place is not, makes things even more challenging for the Raptors. They have ground to make up in the final six games of the season, and they need to have a better record than the Sixers in that time frame in order to get to where they want to go.

It's been a long season for the Raptors, but that has been the case for every team at this point in the season. Injuries are popping up at arguably the worst time, but that is when the depth of the roster is tested. The Raptors cannot take a night off, because any team can win on any given night, even the Kings, who picked up just their 20th victory of the season.

In the final six games for the Raptors, they face off against two lottery opponents in the Memphis Grizzlies and Brooklyn Nets, while playing two playoff teams in the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks on the road. They also have a pair of games next week against the Miami Heat, who are also in the play-in tournament picture alongside them.

The Raptors are capable of winning all six games, but based on how they performed against the Kings, they could also go 0-6. Wins against the Grizzlies and Nets are still to be expected, while a split in the Heat games is also something the Raptors can accomplish. I have a hard time seeing the Raptors beat the Celtics and Knicks, even if the two East powerhouses rest some of their top players for those games.

The Raptors should go 3-3 or 4-2, which could be enough to move them ahead of the Sixers, who play four playoff opponents in their next four games, including the Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs, two of the top three teams in the league based on record.

The Sixers have the fourth-hardest schedule in the league over the final two weeks with a .558 winning percentage among their opponents while the Raptors are at .486, which ranks 20th.

All of those games hold the same amount of importance, and the Raptors need to find their identity once again in order to go into the playoffs with the right amount of momentum.

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