The Canadian Press
Lori Ewing
TORONTO–With 11.6 seconds left, Vince Carter picked up his fifth foul and was subbed out of the game to a loud and long standing ovation.
Ending what likely was Carter’s final appearance on the Air Canada Centre court, it was the highlight of an otherwise hum-drum 108-93 victory for the Toronto Raptors over the Sacramento Kings yesterday.
“I hope not,” Raptors’ guard Kyle Lowry said on the possibility that Carter played his last game here.
“He’s a guy I’ve always looked up to, respected, someone that has earned the right to have his jersey retired in the Raptors’ arena,” he noted.
“What can you say?” Lowry added. “Tip the hat to the guy that pretty much changed the game of basketball for a whole country.”
DeMar DeRozan scored 21 points while Jonas Valanciunas had 13 points and a season-high 16 rebounds to lead the Raptors to their ninth-straight home victory.
Six Raptors scored in double figures as Lowry finished with 16, Norm Powell had 14, OG Anunoby had 11, and C.J. Miles chipped in with 10.
The Raptors (20-8) improved their NBA-best record at the Air Canada Centre to 11-1.
Carter had just four points in 25 minutes but showed a couple of flashes of vintage Vince, such as first-half block (he would finish with three) on Valanciunas.
The 40-year-old, who was a five-time all-star in his six-and-a-bit seasons in Toronto, signed a one-year, $8-million (U.S.) deal with the Kings last off-season, for his 20th NBA season.
The Raptors reportedly were interested in him last summer and Carter, who inspired a generation of young Canadian players in his days as a superstar in Toronto, sounded yesterday like he would welcome a return engagement.
“I heard about it, it didn’t happen. It’s just one of those things,” said Carter.
“It’ll happen, for sure,” he noted. “Somehow, whether it’s one day or something, it’ll happen.”
A far cry from the days he was serenaded by a chorus of boos in Toronto, the crowd cheered Carter during team introductions and each time he checked in.
“Nothing changes. I still love being here, whether it’s 10, 12 years ago or today,” he remarked. “There’s nothing like it.
“I’ve been on two different sides of it . . . but it’s still a place that’s near and dear to me,” Carter added.
Garrett Temple and Bogdan Bogdanovic led the Kings (9-20) with 18 points apiece.
The Raptors had beaten the Kings 102-87 in Sacramento on Dec. 10 but yesterday’s game was a see-saw battle that saw nine lead changes through the first three quarters.
Toronto took an 83-77 advantage into the fourth in front a subdued crowd of 19,800 before back-to-back “threes” from Powell and Delon Wright gave the Raptors a 12-point lead less than two minutes into the final frame.
The Kings would cut the lead to eight but a buzzer-beater by Fred VanVleet had Toronto back up by 11 with 1:38 to play.
Lowry drilled a “three” after the ensuing time-out for a 14-point lead, all but sealing the victory.
Kings’ coach Dave Joerger said he’d hoped it wasn’t going to take a clear path foul to sub Carter out for the ovation.
“But whatever it takes to get him out, I was just yelling for a foul,” Joerger said.
Carter said he’s still waffling on retirement.
“You catch me on the right day, I’ll probably tell you it’s over this year; you catch me on another day, I can probably tell you in a couple of years,” he conceded.
“I just enjoy playing, I enjoy being around the guys in this atmosphere.
“It’s tough to say,” he added. “You’re asking today so I can tell you, I have one more [year] in me.”
Elsewhere, Detroit edged Orlando 114-110, Cleveland beat Washington 106-99, and Indiana downed Brooklyn 109-97.
