De'Aaron Fox plans to play in Kings-Warriors Game 5 despite finger fracture
De'Aaron Fox is battling an injury, but he doesn't think he'll miss a pivotal Game 5.
The Sacramento Kings star point guard said he'll "most likely" play against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday despite being listed as doubtful due to a finger injury.
"There's no if, ands or butts … I'm playing," Fox told reporters Tuesday.
Fox fractured the tip of his index finger on his shooting hand in Sunday's Game 4, according to multiple reports on Monday. While the Kings are hopeful Fox can play on Wednesday, he's still listed as doubtful.
If Fox, who shoots left-handed, plays in Game 5, he'll reportedly have to play with a protective covering on his finger. Fox explained how his finger felt during practice on Tuesday.
"It's just the tolerance on the pad of my finger and making sure I can shoot the ball," Fox said. " … As we got going, the pain started to go away. I feel like I do my normal shot. So, I think I'll be good."
The series is currently tied 2-2 after Golden State's narrow 126-125 victory Sunday.
Fox is believed to have suffered the injury midway through the fourth quarter of that game when his hand clipped that of Warriors center Kevon Looney as Looney attempted to block Fox's shot. Fox, the inaugural NBA Clutch Player of the Year, still hit a 3-pointer with under 30 seconds left in the game to bring Sacramento within one point.
Fox has been the Kings' top player through the first four games of their first-round series against the defending champions, as he and Warriors counterpart Stephen Curry have each scored a series-high 31.5 points per game.
Fox's injury also impacted Game 5 betting odds, as the spread and total both moved. The spread shifted five points in favor of the Warriors at several sportsbooks, where the Kings had been a slight favorite before the injury news. Golden State is currently a 4-point favorite at FOX Bet. The total also shifted down by four points to 233.
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Nick Wright, Chris Broussard and Kevin Wildes react to the De’Aaron Fox injury news.
Fox played a huge role in helping the Kings win the first two games at home — Sacramento's first playoff games since 2007 — before the Warriors won the last two games in San Francisco.