The Toronto Raptors played their fifth and final game of Summer League against the Sacramento Kings, dropping the contest 98-88. The score truly doesn’t communicate how close this game was at times, with the Raptors making multiple efforts to come back. Despite a 22 point deficit, they jumped to within a single possession repeatedly. Unfortunately it wasn’t enough, and their time in Las Vegas comes to an end.
Sacramento, a two-time Summer League champion, is looking to become the only third-time champion.
They were aggressive from the start of this game, moved the ball well to find their shots, and were able to build a substantial lead early on. They never lost their composure, leading wire to wire to clinch their spot in the finals.
Isaac Jones, an un-drafted sophomore led all scorers with 36 points. His size and athleticism allowed him to dominate in the paint. His timing on cuts and ability to draw fouls also helped him generate offence that the Raptors struggled to find an answer for. Mason Jones chipped in 17 points, including a trio of 3-pointers that helped lift the Kings’ scoring.
For Toronto, Ja’Kobe looked to be struggling initially in a similar fashion to Thursday, but fell into rhythm after watching his first long-range shot fall. He began to drive the offence, scoring 10 of the Raptors’ first 16 points. He went on to finish with 19 points, 3 rebounds and 3 steals, but he fouled out in the fourth shortly after Ulrich Chomche.
YEAAHHH Ja'Kobe pic.twitter.com/LBGJmjSU3a
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) July 19, 2025
Jamal Shead, Jamison Battle, and Alijah Martin all scored in double figures as well, helping drive the Raptors’ scoring. The absence of A.J. Lawson was certainly felt, in addition to the whistle that limited playing time for those who did suit up.
Backdoor cuts and alley-oops were the Raptors’ initial downfall, letting the Kings generate a double-digit lead. Turnovers and shooting troubles contributed, making it look as though Toronto started this game on their heels. In the final minutes of the second quarter they righted the ship. Down 30-42, a timeout reinvigorated their defence, and they started to chip away, play by play to bring the game within two possessions.
JB FOR 3 pic.twitter.com/9mf96onXcn
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) July 19, 2025
After halftime, the Kings made adjustments that allowed them to ignite their offence and the Raptors stalled. By the end of the third quarter, a 15-point deficit loomed.
The Raptors never went away in terms of effort, picking up full court and frustrating the Kings’ ball handlers. They forced double digit turnovers in the final quarter, almost mounting a complete comeback.
DEFENCE ➡️ OFFENCE pic.twitter.com/m27l7i2B6j
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) July 19, 2025
Despite the loss, we can still manage a few takeaways from this contest:
- Collin Murray-Boyles had another solid performance for the Raptors despite early foul trouble. It always takes time for rookies in the league to be able to guard aggressively without every little thing being called. It also takes time for them to build discipline on the defensive end. He isn’t there yet, made obvious by the 3 personal fouls he earned within the first 12 minutes. Despite that, his defensive chops meant that James Wade had enough faith in him to leave him in the game, at least for a bit, to play out his visible frustration. He finished with 4 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks, including this one at the start of the game:
️ DEFENCE pic.twitter.com/HaaKLnKLeE
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) July 19, 2025
- Jamal Shead exploded in this game for one of his best performances in a Raptors’ uniform thus far. His presence on the floor was obvious on both ends, helping orchestrate better ball movement and scoring on offence and locking in defensively to deny Sacramento. He finished with a double double, scoring 24 points, grabbing 4 boards, and dishing out 12 assists. While it wasn’t enough to give Toronto a win, it was really promising in terms of his abilities as a back-up point guard for the club this season. He even managed some high-pressure 3-point shooting, something everyone hopes to see more of from him.
BIG 3 FROM JAMAL pic.twitter.com/luDTPcHQTK
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) July 19, 2025
- Undoubtedly the most obvious issue in this matchup was Toronto’s offence. The major lulls made it impossible to stay within striking distance. Solid defence matters only so much when you can’t make any plays at the other end. This has been a common theme throughout the Raptors’ season and now in Summer League as well, raising questions of who is able to contribute scoring. Shead and Walter have both presented themselves as options, but without help and consistent ball movement, it appears as though this will continue to be the outcome of games. Shooting 9-31 from 3-point range and 21-30 from the free-throw line aren’t going to be part of a winning recipe. Of course, with the rest of the summer, this will likely be a big part of their focus.
Although they went to Vegas with hopes to become champions and came up short, so much of this run was productive and encouraging. The growth of the sophomores, the defensive effort, and the spark of the Raptors’ new identity can hopefully keep everyone going until the season tips off in October.
More from raptorshq.com:
- NBA Playoffs 2017: 5 keys as Raptors take on Cavaliers
- Raptors vs. Cavs, Game 1 Preview: The real season starts tonight
- NBA Playoffs: This is the best version of DeMar DeRozan
- HQ Playoff Roundtable: Here come the Cavaliers in Round 2
- Odds Outlook: Raptors huge underdogs vs. LeBron and the Cavaliers
- NBA Playoffs: Q&A on the Cavaliers with Fear the Sword
- NBA Playoff Poll: Who wins Game 1 in Cleveland?
