De’Aaron Fox, Keegan Murray dealing with injuries ahead of Kings vs. Warriors

Jan 4, 2025, 1:29 PM

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 29: De'Aaron Fox #5 of the Sacramento Kings directs teammates in t...

(Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

Lead Editor & Kings Beat Writer

The Sacramento Kings may be shorthanded for Sunday’s matchup against the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco.

According to a league source, Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (right glute contusion) will be listed as doubtful against the Warriors after experiencing soreness that was caused by a fall that took place during the closing seconds of Friday’s win against the Memphis Grizzlies.

While Fox will be listed as doubtful, Sacramento forward Keegan Murray (left ankle soreness) is trending in the right direction after missing the past two contests. Murray was seen going through an individual workout during Saturday’s non-contact practice and will be upgraded to questionable before facing Golden State.

De’Aaron Fox takes a hard spill after Jaren Jackson Jr. fouls out. Domantas Sabonis and DeMar DeRozan took exception. Officials review and determine the foul is upgraded to a flagrant 1. pic.twitter.com/9w0xTflui2

— Sean Cunningham (@SeanCunningham) January 4, 2025

If Fox is unable to go and Murray is cleared to take the floor against the Warriors, interim head coach Doug Christie could slide Malik Monk into the starting point guard spot, leaving Keon Ellis–who has looked strong in a starting role–in his current role. Keegan Murray, DeMar DeRozan, and Domantas Sabonis would round out the first five in this scenario.

After missing the first two-plus months of the regular season, rookie guard Devin Carter made his NBA debut on Friday night. The 13th overall pick could see his minutes increase if Fox is out of action, but a full determination on the one-time All-Star’s status will not be made until the hours leading into Sunday’s action.

The Kings (16-19) have won three straight games entering play against Golden State, a welcome sign after losing six consecutive games that pushed the organization to fire former NBA Coach of the Year winner Mike Brown last weekend.

Sacramento will face a Warriors team under similar circumstances, as Golden State has lost 13 of their past 18 games after starting the season with a record of 12-3.

More Kings coverage from Sactown Sports

During his first press conference as interim head coach of Sacramento, Doug Christie emphasized the importance of defending home court.

At the time, Sacramento led the NBA in home losses with 12, and a three-game homestand provided the Kings with another opportunity to show they could handle business at Golden 1 Center.

Fast forward to Friday night, and Sacramento has done just that. The Kings used strong closing efforts from Malik Monk and DeMar DeRozan in the fourth quarter to hold off the Memphis Grizzlies and secure a 138-133 win–their third-straight victory.

One week to the day after the stunning decision to fire former NBA Coach of the Year winner Mike Brown, Sacramento (16-19) has responded with a three-game winning streak that has lifted the spirits of a Kings fanbase that is hungry for winning basketball.

When is the next Sacramento Kings game?

Sacramento will head to San Francisco on Sunday afternoon for their first matchup of the season against the Golden State Warriors.

The Kings and Warriors split last season’s four-game head-to-head series, with Sacramento taking the final two games. These two Northern California foes will face off twice in January–Sunday at Chase Center and January 21st at Golden 1 Center.

Be sure to catch all of the Kings vs. Warriors drama right here on Sactown Sports 1140 AM, with pregame coverage starting at 4:00 PM PT on Game Night before action tips off at 5:30 PM PT from downtown Sacramento.