Toronto Raptors 131, Sacramento Kings 128 (overtime)

It was Vince Carter’s night.

That’s why fans filled Scotiabank Arena early Saturday evening waiting for the festivities to begin. The evening was full of pageantry as the organization raised Carter’s number 15 to the rafters.

“Look, this is important,” Carter told the packed house. “When this jersey goes up, it’s not just Carter 15 that goes up. It’s all of us that go up. The memories that were made over six years, however you look at them, go up tonight. Listen -me again. The memories, however you look at them. So I hope and pray that we enjoy our jersey retirement forever.

The crowd that once vilified Carter and booed him as much, if not worse, than anyone in Toronto sports history, cheered to honor Carter as the banner slowly rose to the rafters. For a moment, at least, Toronto showed its unison appreciation for the franchise’s first icon and the man who put Toronto basketball on the map.

Gradey Dick caught the attention of Sacramento.

It started before the reveal when Kings coach Mike Brown praised Dick, who has been among the most impressive sophomores in the league to start the season.

“I’m not saying he’s Steph or Klay, but the things he does. They do those things,” Brown said before the game.

When the lights came on, Dick reappeared. He bounced back from a rough start with his shooting to make some crucial shots for Toronto in the fourth. He twice hit pull-ups from the right side over Malik Monk in almost identical fashion. In between, he intercepted a De’Aaron Fox pass and found Ochai Agbaji for an alley-oop slam in transition.

Dick came back big again in the final two minutes, nailing a three-pointer off a touch from Fox as the Raptors tried to stave off a Kings rally. RJ Barrett followed that up with a three-pointer, but a pair of free throws he split in the final seconds allowed Domantas Sabonis to tie the game with a tip-in that forced overtime.

In overtime, it was a save from Dick who kept Fox in isolation that saved Toronto. Dick forced a turnover that allowed Barrett to bank in a transition layup through contact for the three-point play. He followed it up with a floater over Keon Ellis to clinch the win for the Raptors.

The Raptors needed to start better.

A brilliant first quarter Friday night doomed Toronto against the Los Angeles Lakers. It was the latest in a trend of poor starts for the Raptors who consistently found themselves trying to climb out of double-digit holes.

On Saturday, however, Toronto showed itself ready to play. Chris Boucher opened the 5-for-5 game with a pair of three-pointers in the first quarter alone, helping the Raptors take an eight-point lead going into the break. He pushed Toronto’s lead to 11 in the second quarter, continuing his torrid start with 16 points before halftime.

A three-point basket from Boucher above the break pushed Toronto’s lead to eight in the third quarter as the Kings began to rally. It was part of a 22-point effort from Boucher who shot 8 for 12 in 20 minutes.

Ochai Agbaji was a revelation for the Raptors earlier this year.

It’s remarkable how far they’ve come since last season and last summer, when it seemed to be borderline unplayable this year. Instead, he was repeatedly tasked with sliding into Toronto’s starting lineup for his ailing teammates and responded with some truly surprising performances.

Agbaji continues to play hard-hitting defense for the Raptors while proving he has the kind of offensive upside that seemed unfathomable last season. He turned an impressive RJ Barrett pass in the corner into a crucial three-quarter for Toronto after a Kings run. Agbaji finished the night with 22 points on 9-of-12 shooting.

Minutes and shooting will change for Agbaji when Toronto is healthy, but if the 24-year-old winger can maintain the offensive efficiency he’s shown this season, the Raptors will be excited to move forward.