Holmes details injury after Kings’ loss to Clippers; will never play without goggles again
Kings center Richaun Holmes said he will probably never play without goggles again after returning from a serious eye injury that required surgery.
Holmes was back in the starting lineup against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday after missing seven games due to a right eye laceration. He came back with a new look, sporting protective eyewear and a face mask.
“I don’t think I’ll ever play a game without goggles, honestly, but the face mask, I’m going to kind of stay in touch with the doctors on that and see how they feel,” Holmes said. “But I don’t think I’ll ever play another game without goggles after this experience.”
Holmes’ return provided an emotional lift for a team that was hit hard by a COVID-19 outbreak while he was away, but that wasn’t enough in a 105-89 loss to the Clippers at Golden 1 Center.
Eric Bledsoe had 19 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the Clippers (17-15). Paul George had 17 points, six assists, five steals and four rebounds.
Tyrese Haliburton posted his fourth consecutive double-double for the Kings (13-20), finishing with 22 points and 13 assists. Harrison Barnes had 18 points. Buddy Hield had 16 points, but he went 5 of 22 from the field and 5 of 18 from 3-point range.
Holmes finished with four points and seven rebounds in 17 minutes. Haliburton said he was happy to have Holmes in the lineup. Haliburton has shown proficiency in the pick-and-roll game with Holmes, who ranks second in the NBA in field-goal percentage (.707) and offensive rating (136.6).
“It’s great to have Rich back,” Haliburton said. “You all know that’s my guy and we have a great connection and a great partnership.”
Holmes was sidelined for two weeks after taking a shot to the face from Mo Bamba in a game against the Orlando Magic on Dec. 8. He left the floor that night with blood streaming down his face, but it wasn’t just a flesh wound. Holmes and the team’s medical staff later realized his right eye was damaged.
“It was tough,” Holmes said. “Not to go too much into the medical, but it was a lot more serious than I originally thought and the training staff originally thought before (the surgical procedure), so we just wanted to make sure to be careful with it, get as much protection as possible with the goggles and the face mask, and then go about it like that. It was definitely a little serious and I’m just thankful to God to be back on the court doing what I love.”
The Kings looked a little out of sorts early, going 2 of 11 from the field with five turnovers over the first six minutes of the game. They trailed by five at the end of the first quarter and 11 at the end of the second.
The Kings were held to 38 points in the opening half. They made 14 of 43 (.326) from the field and 4 of 18 (.222) from 3-point range with 11 turnovers. Hield was 1 of 12. Chimezie Metu was 1 of 6. Haliburton had five turnovers.
Los Angeles led by as many as 19 following a basket by Bledsoe with 6:09 to play in the third quarter, but the Sacramento stormed back, staging an 18-4 run over a span of 3:58 to cut the deficit to five. The Kings got within four early in the fourth quarter, but they wouldn’t get any closer.
Kings debuts
Emmanuel Mudiay and Ade Murkey made their Kings debuts after signing 10-day contracts with Sacramento on Wednesday morning.
The Kings signed Mudiay and Murkey, a member of their G League team in Stockton, under hardship exemptions as they manage their first major COVID-19 outbreak. De’Aaron Fox, Davion Mitchell, Terence Davis, Louis King, Marvin Bagley III, Alex Len and Neemias Queta were all out due to NBA health and safety protocols.
Mudiay logged eight minutes, finishing with two assists. Murkey got on the floor for the final 98 seconds.
This story was originally published December 23, 2021 at 12:03 AM.
