TORONTO -- If it wasnt bad enough that the Toronto Raptors were playing their third game in three nights, they had to play the final quarter without Andrea Bargnani. Black Kevin Kolb Jersey . Bargnani, Torontos leading scorer on the season, left the game with a strained left calf and the Sacramento Kings took full advantage. Led by a season-high 29 points from Tyreke Evans, they snapped a seven-game losing streak in Toronto by defeating the Raptors 98-91 on Wednesday. It was the first win in Toronto for the Kings since Feb. 22, 2004. Leandro Barbosa came off the bench to score a season-best 24 points for the Raptors. Bargnani finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Bargnani said he would have a magnetic resonance imaging done on Thursday but feels the injury was similar to one had last season. "He doesnt remember doing it," Raptors head coach Dwane Casey said. "Its similar to last year. Its a lot of fatigue. You see a lot of it around the league right now with fatigue, pulls and that type of thing." The Raptors (4-7) led 56-55 when Bargnani left the game and it was tied 63-63 at the end of the third quarter. But the Kings (4-7) took command in the fourth quarter and led by 10 points with 42 seconds to play. Evans scored 14 points in the fourth quarter when he was 9 for 9 from the free-throw line. He was 14 for 14 on the game in free throws and also had seven rebounds. DeMarcus Cousins added 21 points on 6-for-11 shooting from the field and 9 for 11 from the free-throw line and grabbed 19 rebounds for the Kings. Isaiah Thomas had 12 points in the fourth quarter and finished with 20 points for the game and had six assists. Jimmer Fredette chipped in with 10 points for Sacramento. "It was a big confidence builder for us, because in the other road games we were getting blown out," Thomas said. "The coach always preaches to us to stay in the game for the first three quarters and we can try to win it in the fourth." It was the second loss in a row and fourth in five games for the Raptors. Jose Calderon had 13 points to go with 10 assists for Toronto. DeMar DeRozan also scored 13 points on 5-for-9 shooting while Linas Kleiza scored 10 points in his first game since undergoing right knee surgery last February. Amir Johnson had nine points and six rebounds before fouling out with 37.4 seconds to play. "I feel good, its fun to be back," Kleiza said. "Of course the game didnt end the way we wanted but for me personally, after a year off, it feels good to be back. Ive got a lot of people to thank and this is just the beginning, but it is a good first step." Added Calderon: "Were happy to have him back, hes going to help us a lot thats for sure." Kleiza may be relied on even more in the short term, with Bargnanis status unknown. "Well, (Bargnani) is our best player," Calderon said. "Its tough to see him go out and after they let us know that he wasnt coming out again, it was tough." Sacramento pulled ahead in the fourth quarter 80-73 with seven minutes to play when Thomas hit a three-pointer. Cousins hit a pair of free throws with 1:28 to play and made a dunk 16 seconds later to put Sacramento ahead 86-77. The lead reached 10 points but the Raptors came back and narrowed it to five points on Barbosas jumper with 24 seconds left. "The game got away from us a little bit but we were able to regroup and make the right plays," Kings head coach Keith Smart said. "I thought our bench guys came in and gave us the lift we needed to have on back-to-back games." The Raptors were playing their third game in as many nights while Sacramento was playing for the second consecutive night. Both teams lost on Tuesday, Toronto at Washington and Sacramento at Philadelphia. The concentrated 66-game schedule is a result of shortened season due prolonged labour dispute between owners and players. "Again, the guys I cant fault their effort," Casey said. "The guys were really fighting, scratching and clawing. Theres no quit in our guys and thats what I like, too. Defensively we have gotten better, some way weve got to get some execution offensively." Notes: Attendance at Air Canada Centre was 14,423. ....Raptors shooting guard DeRozan entered Wednesdays game mired in a 12-for-46 (26 per cent) funk from the field for a total of 31 points in the previous four games. ... Toronto guard Jerryd Bayless (sprained left ankle) missed his eighth game in a row ... Kleiza who had knee surgery performed last Feb. 1, entered the game late in the first quarter and played 14:28 on the game. ... Forward Chuck Hayes (dislocated left shoulder) was out for Sacramento. ... The Raptors are home to Indiana on Friday, their seventh game in nine days. Blue Steve Johnson Jersey . Astros acquired the outfielder and a player to be named from the Rockies on Tuesday for outfielder Brandon Barnes and right-hander Jordan Lyles. Drafted by Colorado in 2004, Fowler has spent his entire career with the Rockies. Bills Mario Williams Jersey . And when the right-hander finally found his groove, outs came quickly. Medlen allowed only an unearned run in seven innings Tuesday night, and the Braves earned their fifth consecutive victory by beating the punchless Miami Marlins 3-2. TORONTO -- Toronto FCs space under the MLS salary cap is growing. But sadly so are its needs. Head coach Paul Mariner had a veteran defender on top of his shopping list. Now he and Earl Cochrane, TFCs director of team and player operations, have had to widen the search to add a striker in the wake of Danny Koevermans season-ending knee injury. "Were working diligently behind the scenes," said Mariner, who is also Torontos director of soccer operations. "Earl is working the phones constantly, over the weekend and today. "Were trying to do some things but decent strikers dont grow on trees in world football, never mind in MLS. Lets see what happens." Koevermans tore his anterior cruciate ligament in a 1-0 win in New England on Saturday. The Dutch designated player will have to undergo surgery and Mariner realistically does not expect him back until next May. Its a nightmare scenario for a 4-11-4 Toronto team that has been trying to dig itself out of the pit created by a 1-9-0 start to the season. While the team has steadied under Mariner, the former England international now has problems at both end of the pitch. He has to fix a young defence that is conceding a league-worst 1.94 goals a game. And now he has to replace the leagues fifth-leading scorer who has accounted for nine of his teams 19 league goals this season. The immediate plan is to move rookie Luis Silva up front with Jamaican international Ryan Johnson. "Were a little thin," Mariner said by way of understatement. Toronto hosts the Colorado Rapids (7-11-1) on Wednesday night at BMO Field before entertaining Englands Liverpool in a friendly Saturday at Rogers Centre. The Liverpool game will be Torontos 11th since June 6. Expect Mariner to dig deep into his roster to rest some of his regulars on the weekend. "Fortunately we have a fan base that is super intelligent about these things," said the coach. "I think theyll all agree with me its a little more important that we get MLS results than we get results on Saturday. "Yes its going to be a fantastic showcase and its an honour for us to be playing such a storied franchise as Liverpool. Well give it our best. But Ive got to look out for my players." Mariner has been clearing his roster to make space for new talent. Designated player Julian de Guzman was traded to FC Dallas, winger Joao Plata was loaned to an Ecuador club and attacking midfielder Nick Soolsma was released. In just two days, the club has gone from three designated players to one (captain Torsten Frings). TFC gets roster relief but no salary break on Koevermans US$1.56-million tab this season, according to MLS. As part of that roster relief, Toronto gets an open spot for an additional international player and designated player for the remainder of the season. With Frings the only active designated player, Toronto could sign two more DPs for this season but would have to be down to just three by next season (March), the league added. The scenario offered Mariner plenty to talk about at a previously scheduled MLSE board meeting Tuesday afternoon. Toronto will miss more than Koevermans scoring. The 33-year-old Dutchman is seen as a model professional, a straight shooter who leads from the front. Koevermans is also a physical presence who occupies the attention of defenders. A goal poacher, he can seemingly score with any part of his body. C.J. Spiller Jersey. He also helped make the goal for Silva against New England with a nice give and go. Defender Richard Eckersley says the big man will be missed. "A fantastic player and a fantastic personality in the changing room," said the English native. Koevermans is also vocal on the pitch, not afraid to challenge referees or stand up for his rights against opponents. That sandpaper attitude rubs off on teammates. Ironically, an emotional Koevermans became a lightning rod for the struggling team earlier in the season after its league-record ninth straight loss to open the season. "Were setting a record for the worst team in the world, man, and its painful," Koevermans said at the time. "What can I say more? Its just the worst ever." But it was Koevermans who scored the goal that ended the winless streak against Philadelphia. And his purple patch -- six goals in five games -- helped turn Toronto around under Mariner. "He was doing everything he possibly could to get the team up the table," said Mariner, who thought Koevermans deserved to be at the all-star game. "Im not going to say were not devastated about it. Hes a great guy." There was no date for Koevermans surgery but Mariner said the goal was to have it as soon as possible. The TFC coach said he had no problems with the challenge from New England defender A.J. Soares that resulted in the collision with Mariner. His view was that Koevermans "just stubbed his toe in the turf." Until fresh legs are found, the onus for scoring will fall on Johnson (three goals) and Silva (two). "Its the same old story in football," Mariner said. "Somebody goes down and its somebody elses opportunity. ... Somebodys going to have to pick up the gauntlet. Were going to have to find some goals from somewhere." Johnson is a tireless worker who has had run of bad luck in front of goal. But Mariner only has good things to say about the Jamaican who has played every minute of every league game this season. "I said to his family at the weekend Im not sure if youve got a freak here because this guys got at least three or four lungs. "I dont know how he does it. Hes resilient, hes tough. Hes up for the cause every single game. ... He is quite a remarkable athlete." "I hope he doesnt get injured," he added dryly. Or get a yellow card. Johnson is one caution away from a one-game suspension. Toronto is lacking depth throughout the roster. With Stefan Frei recovering from a serious leg injury, the team has been keeping its fingers crossed that nothing happens to starting goalie Milos Kocic. Bermuda international Freddy Hall remains in camp on trial. NOTES -- Mariner says defenders Adrian Cann (knee) and Ty Harden may see some action against Liverpool. But fullback Jeremy Hall (hamstring) is not yet ready. .. The TFC manager had no comment about reports linking his team to veteran defenders Kevin McKenna and Olof Mellberg ... Toronto opted for a short, light practice Tuesday in the oven-like conditions that prompted an extreme heat alert in the city. Forward Andrew Wiedeman, acquired from FC Dallas in the Julian de Guzman trade, was one of the few not complaining. "This is nothing." he said of the 30-degree-plus temperatures that felt like 40-plus. "If I got this in Dallas, Id be happy." ' ' '