Just a few days ago, the Sacramento Kings held a 2-0 series lead over the Golden State Warriors, and things were looking good for the NBA’s biggest surprise team.
But they have lost their last two games in San Francisco, and it is now a brand-new series.
To make matters worse, De’Aaron Fox, the Kings’ biggest star and leader, has a fractured finger on his shooting hand, and his status for Game 5 is up in the air.
Fox Sports 1 personality Nick Wright made it clear that Sacramento is in deep trouble if Fox is unable to play.
“If De’Aaron Fox is unable to play, I don’t the Kings can beat the Warriors 2 out of 3 games. He is the engine that drives them.” — @getnickwright pic.twitter.com/HWZDvD99QC
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) April 24, 2023
Although the Kings have plenty of depth and talent, and although they have a very good second All-Star in big man Domantas Sabonis, Fox is the heart and soul of the team.
Furthermore, Sabonis hasn’t played up to his usual standards in this series, as his numbers are beneath the production he displayed during the regular season.
Of the Kings’ last two losses, Game 4 was by far the most vexing, as they had a chance to win in the closing moments.
They fought back from a double-digit deficit to come within a point with less than 30 seconds left when Fox hit a 3-pointer, and before that, they got a gift when Stephen Curry called an illegal time-out, giving them a technical free throw, which was converted by guard Malik Monk.
But in the final seconds, Curry locked up Fox, then forced Harrison Barnes to miss the potential game-winning 3-pointer.
The one positive for the Kings will be the fact that they will have Game 5 and Game 7 (if necessary) at home, where they boast some of the NBA’s most passionate fans.
NEXT:
NBA Insider Gives Concerning Injury Update On Kings Star
