De’Aaron Fox, Trey Lyles ruled out for Kings vs. Thunder
Nov 9, 2023, 5:44 PM
(Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
(Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
The Sacramento Kings will be shorthanded once again on Friday night.
De’Aaron Fox (ankle sprain) and Trey Lyles (calf strain) have been ruled out for Friday’s matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Golden 1 Center, as a struggling Kings offense will have to survive without two key members of the rotation for another game.
Sacramento is set to face the up-and-coming Thunder in their first NBA In-Season Tournament group play matchup, and they will do so without Fox for a fifth-straight game and Lyles, who has yet to appear in a regular season contest.
Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (ankle sprain) is listed as OUT for Friday’s NBA In-Season Tournament opener vs. Oklahoma City.
Fifth-straight game that Sacramento will be without Fox.
— Frankie Cartoscelli (@FCartoscelli3) November 10, 2023
De’Aaron Fox
Following a red-hot start to the season, Fox sprained his right ankle after coming down on Los Angeles Lakers guard Gabe Vincent’s foot during the fourth quarter of October 29th’s matchup between the two Pacific Divison foes at Golden 1 Center.
Although Fox originally stated that he didn’t expect the injury to keep him sidelined for more than one week, the guard is approaching the two-week mark as Sacramento’s once-lethal offense has sputtered without the All-Star talent running the show.
Over three games this season, Fox holds averages of 31.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 48 percent from the field and 37 percent from three-point land (8.0 attempts per game).
Trey Lyles
During the 2022-23 season, Lyles was a key piece of Mike Brown’s rotation as the veteran forward posted 7.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game on 46/36/81 shooting splits over 74 games.
Sacramento has been without one of their top reserves this season as Lyles nurses a left calf strain, meaning that Brown has called on players like Sasha Vezenkov, Kessler Edwards, and Chris Duarte to fill the void.
The Kings have missed Lyles’ impact on both ends of the floor, especially on the offensive end, where he acted as a solid floor-spacer in the second unit alongside Malik Monk and Davion Mitchell.
No timeline has been given for Fox or Lyles, but more clarity on Sacramento’s injured players could come during Brown’s pregame press conference at 5:15 PM PST on Friday night.
When is the next Sacramento Kings Game?
Are you ready for some NBA In-Season Tournament action?
Sacramento will play its first Group Play game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Golden 1 Center on Friday while debuting their new court and City Edition uniforms.
Be sure to tune in right here on Sactown Sports 1140 for all of your Kings vs. Thunder coverage, beginning at 5:30 PM PST on Game Night before a 7:00 PM PST tip-off from downtown Sacramento.
Upcoming Schedule
- Friday, November 10th – Sacramento Kings vs. Oklahoma City Thunder** – 7 PM PST
- Monday, November 13th – Sacramento Kings vs. Cleveland Cavaliers – 7:00 PM PST
- Wednesday, November 15th – Sacramento Kings @ Los Angeles Lakers – 7:00 PM PST
- Friday, November 17th – Sacramento Kings @ San Antonio Spurs – 4:30 PM PST
- Sunday, November 19th – Sacramento Kings @ Dallas Mavericks – 4:30 PM PST
** NBA In-Season Tournament Group Play
Thank you for reading SactownSports.com. Follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
