Kings star Fox has fractured finger, doubtful for Game 5 vs. Warriors:
report
De'Aaron Fox has averaged 31.5 points, 7 assists during Warriors-Kings
series
>Golden State Warriors’ Gary Payton Jr defends Sacramento Kings’
De’Aaron Fox in the fourth quarter of Game 1 of the Western Conference
First Round playoffs, Saturday, April 15, 2023, at Golden One Arena in
Sacramento, Calif. Wiggins was called for a foul on the play. (Karl
Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
By MADELINE KENNEY | mkenney@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: April 24, 2023 at 12:45 p.m. | UPDATED: April 24, 2023 at
3:03 p.m.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2023/04/24/kings-star-fox-has-fractured-finger-doubtful-for-game-5-vs-warriors/

The Warriors could face a diminished version of the Sacramento Kings in
Wednesday’s crucial Game 5 of their first-round playoff series.

Kings guard De’Aaron Fox reportedly injured a finger on his shooting
hand in Sunday’s loss to the Warriors, putting his status for Game 5 and
beyond in question.

The All-Star guard fractured the tip of his left index finger in the
fourth quarter of the Warriors’ 126-125 win that tied the series at two
games apiece, The Athletic reported Monday.

Fox will be listed as doubtful for Wednesday’s game in Sacramento,
according to several reports. The Kings are holding out hope that he’ll
play, according to ESPN. If he does, he’ll need to wear a protective
covering over his finger.

Fox appeared to injure his finger with 4:35 left in the game when he
drove past Jordan Poole and drew a foul, then attempted a post-whistle
layup over Kevon Looney, who swiped at the ball. Their hands appeared to
collide and Fox was subsequently spotted shaking his left hand before
grabbing it.

He remained in the game and finished with 38 points, nine rebounds and
five assists.

Fox has been one of the Warriors’ greatest challenges of this
first-round matchup. He’s averaged 31.5 points, seven assists, six
rebounds and 2.5 steals in the first four games of this best-of-seven
series. The inaugural Clutch Player of the Year is shooting 44.7% from
the field and 34.2% from deep over the first four games.

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After Fox scored 21 points in the first half of Sunday’s game, Warriors
assistant coaches Chris DeMarco and Dejan Milojević suggested giving
Draymond Green the task of guarding the nimble 25-year-old in the second
half.

Fox went 3-for-8 from the field with Green as his primary defender on
Sunday, per NBA player tracking data. Green and Stephen Curry teamed up
to get a crucial stop in the game’s final possession, with the two
Warriors stars bottling up Fox and forcing him to pass the ball to
Harrison Barnes, who missed the potential game-winning shot.

“Fox is a great player, man. He’s incredible,” Green said after the
game. “He continues to get better, and any time you draw the assignment
to go guard the other team’s best player, you appreciate the
opportunity, and I definitely did.”

The news of Fox’s injury swung the betting markets, as the Warriors went
from 1.5-point underdogs for Wednesday’s game to 4-point favorites, per
Caesars Sportsbook. Their odds to win the series also jumped from -180
to -250 at DraftKings.

Golden State has struggled all season on the road, but Game 5 presents
an opportunity to buck that trend, as the Warriors enter following two
straight wins to even the series. Golden State would need to win at
least one game on the road to move on to the Western Conference semifinals.

The Kings are 4-5 without Fox this season.

--
Madeline Kenney | Warriors reporter
Madeline Kenney is the Bay Area News Group's Golden State Warriors beat
reporter for The Mercury News and East Bay Times. A Nebraska native, she
is graduate of Loyola University of Chicago. She holds a Bachelor in
Communication degree, with a major in broadcast journalism and minors in
sports management and marketing, and is a friend of Sister Jean, the
103-year-old nun who became famous during the Ramblers’ 2018 run to the
Final Four, Madeline previously worked for the Chicago Sun-Times
covering everything from sports to crime and politics. When she’s not
working, she enjoys trying new restaurants and exploring the great outdoors.