IN SPORTS: MARCH MADNESS BACK IN BUSINESS
The Kings lost Marvin Bagley III to a broken hand and then lost the game with another fourth-quarter collapse against the Charlotte Hornets.
Bagley sustained the injury in the second quarter of a 122-116 loss to the Hornets on Monday night at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. X-rays performed at the arena confirmed Bagley suffered a fracture of the fourth metacarpal in his left hand, the team said.
“I really feel for him,” Kings coach Luke Walton said. “He’s put in so much hard work this year. I’ve said all year long he’s continued to make really big strides and he was putting together a heck of a game tonight. We’re going to miss him out there on the
floor with us.”
The Kings said Bagley will undergo further medical evaluation and an update regarding his course of treatment will be provided in the coming days. Bagley, who came out of Duke as the No. 2 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, has appeared in 36 games this season, averaging 13.9 points and 7.9 rebounds. He was limited to 13 games last season due to various injuries, including a broken right thumb.
“It sucks because he’s been healthy all year,” Kings guard Tyrese Haliburton said. “I know he’s battled with injuries since high school, so it sucks. He’s been playing really well. He’s been getting a lot better throughout the year.”
Terry Rozier scored 26 points to lead the Hornets (20-18), who staged a fourth-quarter comeback to beat the Kings for the second time in 15 days. Gordon Hayward had 25 points and eight rebounds with four assists and four steals. Rookie LaMelo Ball finished with 16 points, four rebounds and four assists.
De’Aaron Fox had 29 points and eight assists for the Kings (15-24), who have lost 13 of their last 16 games. Buddy Hield added 23 points and six rebounds. Richaun Holmes recorded his fourth consecutive double-double in a stellar allaround effort, finishing with 17 points, 15 rebounds, six assists, four blocked shots and two steals. Bagley had 12 points on 6-of-9 shooting in 16 minutes before leaving the game with the injury.
The team’s medical staff accompanied Bagley to the locker room late in the first half. The team announced Bagley would not return at halftime before revealing the extent of the injury after the game.
The Kings were seeking revenge after blowing an eight-point lead in the final 52.4 seconds in a 127-126 loss to the Hornets on Feb. 28 in Sacramento. This time the Kings led by seven with 4:34 remaining.
“We’ve just got to close games,” Haliburton said. “Those ones sting. They can come back to bight you later in the year. It’s just frustrating, but we’ll get it figured out.”
The Kings led 32-23 when Walton went to his reserves late in the first quarter. The team’s lack of depth has been apparent all season as Walton has relied heavily on an eightman rotation, but he had to go deeper into his bench when Haliburton got into foul trouble and Bagley was ruled out for the second half. Haliburton, Cory Joseph, Nemanja Bjelica and Justin James all made appearances in the first half. Jabari Parker, who had appeared in only two games this season, came on in the second half.
The Kings carried a 67-61 advantage into the break after shooting 65.4% in the first half. They staged a 132 run to go up by 14 with 9:44 to play in the third quarter. The Hornets cut the deficit to three going into the fourth.
Sacramento maintained a slim lead until Hayward muscled his way inside to tie the game with 3:04 to play. The Hornets went up 113-111 on a three-point play by Hayward. The Kings tied the game on a basket by Hield, but a 3pointer and two free throws by Rozier helped the Hornets hold on for the win.