Kings vs. Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton, Domantas Sabonis, injury updates and scouting reports
Former teammates will exchange hugs and handshakes when the Kings face the Indiana Pacers on Friday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Kings center Domantas Sabonis will return to Indiana two years after the Pacers made a blockbuster move to send him to Sacramento in exchange for Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson. NBA fans and media will continue to debate who won the trade, but the deal has worked out nicely for everyone involved.
Haliburton will start his first All-Star Game on Feb. 18 on his home court in Indianapolis. De’Aaron Fox and Sabonis were left off the Western Conference All-Star team when reserves were announced Thursday, but the Kings are closing in on another postseason appearance after ending the longest playoff drought in NBA history last season.
The Kings (27-19) are listing Sasha Vezenkov as questionable against the Pacers due to a right ankle sprain. Vezenkov has missed the past four games since injuring the ankle in a win over the Atlanta Hawks on Jan. 22.
The Pacers (27-22) won’t submit an injury report until Friday afternoon. They will be facing the Kings on the second night of a road-home back-to-back after suffering a 109-105 loss to the New York Knicks on Thursday at Madison Square Garden.
This is the fifth stop on a season-long seven-game road trip for the Kings. They will visit the Chicago Bulls on Saturday and the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday before returning to Sacramento to play the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday at Golden 1 Center.
Scouting Sacramento
The Kings are fifth in the Western Conference. They are 4 ½ games behind the Denver Nuggets for the No. 4 seed.
Fox is averaging a career-high 27.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.6 steals. He is shooting 46.7% from the field and a career-best 38% from 3-point range.
Sabonis averages 19.9 points, 13.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists. He leads the league in rebounding and double-doubles (42). Sabonis has recorded 29 consecutive double-doubles, tying Oscar Robertson’s single-season franchise record. Sabonis is shooting 61.6% from the field and 45.1% from 3-point range.
Keegan Murray (16.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg), Malik Monk (14.2 ppg, 5.3 apg), Harrison Barnes (11.8 ppg), Kevin Huerter (10.9 ppg) and Trey Lyles (6.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg) are also playing key roles for Sacramento.
Scouting Indiana
The Pacers are sixth in the Eastern Conference, 1 ½ games ahead of the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic for the final automatic playoff berth.
Haliburton has been sensational, averaging 23.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 12.5 assists. He is converting 49.1% from the field and 39.7 from 3-point range. Haliburton recently returned from a hamstring injury and has been limited to 22 minutes in the past two games.
Pascal Siakam has averaged 21.6 points, 7.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists in seven games since the Pacers acquired him in a trade with the Toronto Raptors. Siakam is shooting 57.4% from the field and 42.9% from beyond the arc since joining the Pacers.
Other key players include Myles Turner (17.2 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 1.9 bpg), Bennedict Mathurin (14.3 ppg), Aaron Nesmith (12.4 ppg) and Hield (12.3 ppg).
Status updates
The Indiana Pacers are listing several key players as questionable for Friday’s game against the Kings.
Haliburton is questionable due to left hamstring strain injury management. Turner is questionable with a left ankle sprain. Mathurin (toe), Jalen Smith (back), Kendall Brown (G League), Oscar Tshiebwe (G League) and Isaiah Wong (G League) are also questionable.
Ruled out
The Kings have ruled Vezenkov out for Friday’s game against the Pacers. He will miss his fifth consecutive game.
Kings at Pacers
When: 4:30 p.m.
Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse
TV: NBC Sports California
Radio: Sactown Sports 1140
Odds: Kings -2.5
Over/under: 246.5
Injury report
Kings: QUESTIONABLE — Sasha Vezenkov (ankle). OUT — Jordan Ford (G League); Jalen Slawson (G League).
Pacers: Not yet submitted.
Upcoming schedule
Feb. 2 at Indiana Pacers
Feb. 3 at Chicago Bulls
Feb. 5 at Cleveland Cavaliers
Feb. 7 vs. Detroit Pistons
Feb. 9 vs. Denver Nuggets
