Kings tweak lineup with 2 starters out

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Kings were without two starters for Sunday’s rematch with the Rockets after guard Tyrese Haliburton entered healthy and safety protocols and forward Marvin Bagley III was ruled out with a sore right shoulder.

Haliburton and Bagley were two of the players who did the most damage to the Rockets in the Kings’ 126-114 victory on Friday. Haliburton dished 12 assists and scored nine points, while Bagley scored a season-high 26 points to go with 13 rebounds.

The two teamed up multiple times on pick-and-rolls that led to Bagley making mid-range floaters; Haliburton assisted Bagley on four of his 12 field goals.

On Sunday, the Kings started guard De’Aaron Fox, guard Terence Davis, forward Harrison Barnes, forward Chimezie Metu and center Richaun Holmes. Holmes returned to the lineup after missing the past eight games while in health and safety protocols.

Rockets coach Stephen Silas said the Kings’ lineup changes only slightly altered Houston’s game prep.

“We talked extensively yesterday and today about their personnel, Bagley especially, because he hurt us last time we played them, so yeah it changes it a little bit,” Silas said. “But they’re going to be still kind of playing the same way and playing out of the same sets and actions and for us it’s always about getting back in transition — with Fox on the floor, that’s always going to be an issue.

“And then rebounding is going to be huge for us with Holmes back, so the main tenets of our prep are as we’ve gone through the season, it’s always been about us, what we want to do and not so much about the opponent. Our transition defense, getting our defense set, is number one. Rebounding is number two. Dealing with whatever actions we see is probably number three.”

The Rockets went with the same starting lineup for the third game in a row: guard Kevin Porter Jr., guard Jalen Green, guard Eric Gordon, forward Jae’Sean Tate and center Christian Wood.