Preview: Fox questionable as Kings seek two-game sweep in OKC

The Sacramento Kings (35-25) will look to continue their winnings ways on Tuesday night when they wrap up a two-game set against the Oklahoma City Thunder (28-32) at Paycom Center.

Thanks to a 33-point effort from All-Star guard De’Aaron Fox, the Kings secured a 124-115 win over the Thunder on Sunday night to improve to 10 games over .500 for the first time since the 2004-05 season.

While Fox’s impact has been incredible over his past ten games (32.0 points, 7.0 assists), the Kings might be without the speedy guard on Tuesday due to left wrist soreness.

Can Sacramento close out the three-game road trip without the services of Fox? We’ll find out tonight if the Kings rule out the 25-year-old.

Trey Lyles AGAIN ‼️ pic.twitter.com/k1hfn33dwh

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) February 27, 2023

Sacramento Kings vs. Oklahoma City Game Info

When: 5:00 PM PST

Where: Paycom Center– Oklahoma City, OK

TV: NBC Sports California

Radio: Sactown Sports 1140 AM – Pregame coverage starts at 3:30 PM PST on Game Night

Line: Kings -2.5, O/U: 238.5

All Hands On Deck

If De’Aaron Fox is unable to play on Tuesday, the Kings will need more of what they got from the bench unit during Sunday’s win over Oklahoma City.

Trey Lyles was the heavy-hitter late as the forward scored 10 of his 16 points during the fourth quarter while also grabbing six rebounds and passing out three assists. Malik Monk continued his hot streak with 12 points on four-of-five shooting from beyond the arc.

Monk is averaging 18.1 points on 57 percent shooting from the field and 49 percent from three-point land over his past 11 games, and that’s precisely the type of production that Sacramento needs if Fox is ruled out.

The Kings are 1-4 this season, as they have struggled to find production out of its bench backcourt in Davion Mitchell and Matthew Dellavedova during Fox’s previous absences. With Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (ankle/abdomen) ruled out, Sacramento will need the combination of Mitchell and Delladevova to lock in against an OKC backcourt that still managed to combine for 42 points on eight-of-17 from three.

Fox’s questionable designation is likely a hint that Sacramento would like to give the guard some down-time, as the six-year veteran has played 37.7 minutes per game over his past seven appearances.

With a tough back-to-back approaching this weekend against the Los Angeles Clippers and Minnesota Timberwolves, it would be beneficial to get Fox some rest before taking on a heavy workload in two games with postseason implications.

Still, Tuesday’s game is crucial, as nearly every team beneath the Kings in the standings will have an opportunity to gain some ground on Sacramento if they fall to Oklahoma City. Even without Fox, the supporting cast will have to take care of business to keep pace as the third seed in the West.

Defend The Three

Sacramento was on the verge of blowing Sunday’s game open as they held a double-digit lead in the third quarter, but Oklahoma City caught fire from beyond the arc and made things interesting heading into the fourth.

The Thunder put up 40 points during the third quarter on eight-of-12 (66%) shooting from beyond the arc in the period, with Isaiah Joe (12 points) and Lu Dort (10 points) leading the way.

ISAIAH JOE WITH A BRUTAL STEP BACK 😳@okcthunder | #ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/dxUDqMErOz

— Bally Sports Oklahoma (@BallySportsOK) February 27, 2023

Oklahoma City enters play on Tuesday in the middle of the NBA pack when it comes to three-point shooting, as they are no slouch when it comes to knocking down triples. Sacramento had the game firmly within its grasp before letting the Thunder back in during the third, and head coach Mike Brown will need to make adjustments to ensure the team’s perimeter defense makes the correct rotations.

The Kings got away with one on Sunday as they allowed Oklahoma City to shoot 16-of-40 (40%) from three-point land–just the team’s third loss this season when knocking down 16 or more triples (10-3).

If you’ve watched the Sacramento Kings this season, you know how quickly the team’s sluggish defense can cause a game to unravel. The third quarter of Sunday’s game ended up acting as a speed bump rather than an implosion, but letting Oklahoma City get in a rhythm from deep could spell trouble this time around–especially when you add in the possibility that Fox could be unable to bail them out late.

Injury Report

Sacramento

• De’Aaron Fox – QUESTIONABLE (left wrist soreness)
• Neemias Queta and Keon Ellis are on assignment with G-League affiliate Stockton.

Oklahoma City

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – OUT (right ankle soreness/abdominal strain)
• Chet Holmgren – OUT (right foot surgery)
• Aleksej Pokusevski – OUT (tibial fracture)
• Ousmane Dieng and Olivier Sarr are on assignment with G-League affiliate Oklahoma City.

Coverage

Be sure to get all of your Kings vs. Thunder coverage right here on Sactown Sports 1140 beginning at 3:30 PM PST on Game Night with Scott Marsh and Henry ‘The High Flyer’ Turner before a 5:00 PM PST tip-off from Oklahoma City.

Upcoming Sacramento Kings Schedule

Tuesday, February 28th – Sacramento Kings @ Oklahoma City Thunder – 5:00 PM PST

Friday, March 3rd – Sacramento Kings vs. Los Angeles Clippers – 7:00 PM PST

Saturday, March 4th – Sacramento Kings vs. Minnesota Timberwolves – 7:00 PM PST

Monday, March 6th – Sacramento Kings vs. New Orleans Pelicans – 7:00 PM PST

Thursday, March 9th – Sacramento Kings vs. New York Knicks – 7:00 PM PST

Thank you for reading sactownsports.com. Follow us on Twitter , and be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Frankie Cartoscelli is the Kings’ beat reporter for sactownsports.com. Follow Frankie on Twitter.

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