‘Frustrating’: Growing concern over Kings guard Bogdan Bogdanovic’s hamstring injury
There was growing concern over Bogdan Bogdanovic’s hamstring injury Monday night as the Kings prepared to embark on another four-game road trip following a disappointing 113-106 loss to the Chicago Bulls at Golden 1 Center.
Bogdanovic played through obvious signs of discomfort, posting 11 points, three assists and two rebounds in 21 minutes as the Kings (8-11) fell to the Bulls (7-14) after cutting a 19-point second-half deficit to two in the final minutes. Bogdanovic made 4 of 9 field-goal attempts and 2 of 5 from 3-point range, but Kings coach Luke Walton noted Bogdanovic was “not moving great.”
Bogdanovic sat in front of his locker with his right knee wrapped in ice after the game, saying the tightness in his left hamstring is fairly persistent and now his knee hurts because he is compensating for the other injury. He said he wants to keep playing but did not rule out the idea of missing additional games, raising the possibility of him joining De’Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley III on the sidelines.
“I don’t want to make excuses,” Bogdanovic said. “I was just trying to play as much as I can. Obviously I didn’t help my team tonight to win, but I’ve got to move forward and see what I’m going to do with the hamstring.”
The Kings will visit the Portland Trail Blazers (8-12) on Wednesday before continuing to Texas to face the San Antonio Spurs (7-14), Dallas Mavericks (13-6) and Houston Rockets (13-6). Bogdanovic said the team’s medical staff will determine whether he should continue to play or sit out to let the hamstring heal.
“It’s on doctors to decide,” he said. “I’m just here to play and whenever I can, I will play.”
Fox seems to be recovering quickly from a Grade 3 ankle sprain suffered Nov. 11. The team said he has been cleared for noncontact basketball activities and will be reevaluated in two to three weeks. Bagley could return within the next week after suffering a broken thumb in the season opener.
Bogdanovic is averaging career highs of 14.8 points and 4.7 assists in 27.5 minutes per game off the Kings’ bench. He suffered the hamstring injury in a 120-116 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Nov. 19. He felt tightness in the hamstring and left the game late in the fourth quarter after posting a career-high 31 points on 11-of-14 shooting from the field and 7-of-9 shooting from 3-point range.
Bogdanovic missed the following game against the Brooklyn Nets but came back two days later against the Washington Wizards. In five games since his return, he has made 27 of 76 (.355) field-goal attempts and 11 of 41 (.268) from 3-point range.
“It’s bothering me, but I don’t want to make excuses from it,” Bogdanovic said.
Walton said earlier this week Bogdanovic is playing restricted minutes, saying the team’s medical staff is limiting him to six-minute stretches. Walton said the minute restriction was intended to reduce strain on the hamstring and prevent lingering discomfort.
“That’s why we’re playing him six (minutes) at a time,” Walton said before Monday’s game. “That’s where we feel confident as a medical staff and as an organization that we can keep him healthy and playing, and he can continue to heal. It’s pretty clear how much we rely on what he does for us, so he feels good, he wants to keep playing (and) our medical staff feels confident about it, so we’ll stay with it. As he continues to get healthier, those minutes will get bigger.”
Walton expressed more concern after the game when he mentioned that Bogdanovic was not moving well. Bogdanovic was seen grimacing and grabbing at the hamstring during the game.
Bogdanovic said the injury bothers him “sometimes, sometimes not,” but the restricted minutes have made it difficult to establish a rhythm on the floor.
“I hate that I have to play five (or) six minutes at a time and then go out,” he said. “It’s really frustrating. … You want to get in a rhythm and as soon as you get in a rhythm, you sit down and it’s five, six minutes to check in again.”
Kings guard Buddy Hield said the Kings need Bogdanovic — and they need him healthy, if possible.
“Bogi’s a big part of what we do,” Hield said. “I always tell him, ‘Bogi, if you can’t play, don’t play.’ But he shows how much he loves to play and how he wants to be there. That’s the competitive nature he has and he’s one of those guys that would do anything for his team. Whether it’s lingering or not, he’s going to be there for his team and you want guys who will go to battle.
“Same thing with me. If it’s a nagging injury and I can play, I’ll play, but if it’s going to hurt you in the long run and keep you out for a couple months or a couple weeks, it’s best (if) you rest it. He knows his body better than anybody else, so I trust him.”
Kings upcoming schedule
Dec. 4 at Portland Trail Blazers, 7 p.m.
Dec. 6 at San Antonio Spurs, 5:30 p.m.
Dec. 8 at Dallas Mavericks, 4 p.m.
Dec. 9 at Houston Rockets, 5 p.m.
Dec. 11 vs. Oklahoma City, 7 p.m.
This story was originally published December 3, 2019 at 12:53 AM.
