Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox is the latest star who might miss time with an injury.
Fox sustained a fracture to the tip of his index finger on his left (shooting) hand in the Kings’ Game 4 loss to Golden State and will be listed as questionable for Game 5 against the Warriors on Wednesday, a person familiar with the injury told USA TODAY Sports.
The person requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about Fox’s injury.
If he can’t play, that puts the Kings at a disadvantage in the first-round Western Conference series that is tied 2-2.
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Fox, 25, is a key reason for Sacramento’s success this season. He was named to the All-Star team for the first time in 2023, is likely to make an All-NBA team and last week, he was named the NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year.
In four playoff games, Fox is averaging 31.5 points, 7.0 assists, 6.0 rebounds and 2.5 steals and shooting 44.7% from the field and 70% from the foul line. He scored 38 points in Sacramento’s Game 1 victory and had 38 points in the Kings’ Game 4 loss.
The six-year veteran had his best season as a pro in 2022-23, and it coincided with Sacramento earning the No. 3 seed with a 44-38 record. It was the most wins for Sacramento since 2004-05. This is the franchise’s first playoff appearance since 2006.
Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid, Memphis’ Ja Morant, Miami’s Tyler Herro and Los Angeles Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard are among the players who missed games in the opening week of the playoffs. The Heat’s Victor Oladipo will miss the rest of the playoffs with a torn patellar tendon in his left knee, which he suffered in Maimi’s Game 3 blowout win over the Bucks.