Kings-Warriors playoff notes: Harrison Barnes injury news; Andrew Wiggins status update
A key player missed practice Thursday as the Kings prepared to face the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
The Kings said veteran forward Harrison Barnes twisted an ankle during Wednesday’s practice session. Barnes did not participate in practice Thursday, but he is expected to be available when the Kings play the Warriors in Game 1 on Saturday at Golden 1 Center.
“He’s fine,” Kings coach Mike Brown said. “He tweaked his ankle yesterday in practice and he finished practice, as you guys saw. We just kind of held him out today.”
Barnes, who starts at small forward for Sacramento, played all 82 games this season for the second time in his career. He averaged 15.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists while shooting 47.3% from the field and 37.4% from 3-point range during the regular season.
Barnes is one of the few players on Sacramento’s roster with extensive playoff experience. He appeared in 64 playoff games for the Warriors from 2013-16 and was part of their NBA championship team in 2015.
Meanwhile, the Warriors announced All-Star forward Andrew Wiggins has been cleared to return in Game 1. Wiggins has not played since Feb. 13. He missed the last 25 games of the season due to personal reasons, reportedly because his father was dealing with a serious medical issue.
Wiggins is a big part of what the Warriors do offensively and defensively. He has appeared in only 37 games this season, averaging 17.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.2 steals.
“Andrew looks great,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr told Bay Area media on Thursday. “He’s feeling good and ready to go.”
The Kings faced the Warriors three times with Wiggins in the lineup over the first month of the season. Wiggins averaged 25.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.0 blocks and 2.3 steals in those three games.
This story was originally published April 13, 2023 at 5:34 PM.
