Kings start hotshot Tyrese Haliburton; De’Aaron Fox, Marvin Bagley III out with injuries
Kings coach Luke Walton moved rookie standout Tyrese Haliburton into the starting lineup after De’Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley III were ruled out for Friday’s game against the Orlando Magic at Golden 1 Center.
Haliburton got hot early. He posted 12 points, four assists and two rebounds with one turnover in the first half, making 5 of 9 field-goal attempts and 2 of 6 from 3-point range. He finished with 14 points, seven assists and three rebounds.
Fox and Bagley were both late additions to the team’s injury report. Fox suffered a left knee contusion during Thursday’s practice. Bagley was experiencing left calf soreness. Walton said both were questionable and each player’s status would be a gametime decision. Both were ruled out shortly before tipoff.
With Fox and Bagley out of the starting lineup, Walton started Haliburton and Glenn Robinson III with Buddy Hield, Harrison Barnes and Richaun Holmes.
Haliburton, the No. 12 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft out of Iowa State, made just his second start of the season for the Kings. In his previous start, he had 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting with eight assists in a 125-99 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.
Haliburton has emerged as one of the early leaders in the Rookie of the Year race following a brilliant start to the season. He is averaging 12.0 points, 5.3 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.2 steals while shooting 49.5% from the field and 45.5% from 3-point range. He has 117 assists with just 33 turnovers in 22 games.
This story was originally published February 12, 2021 at 7:56 PM.
