Kings vs. Pacers: Carter, LaRavia, Mathurin injuries; 3 things to watch
The Kings looked lethargic and uninspired when they opened a crucial six-game road trip with a 30-point loss to the Orlando Magic on Saturday.
They will try to put forth a much better effort when they visit the Indiana Pacers on Monday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The Kings (36-38) are 10th in the Western Conference, 1 ½ games ahead of the Phoenix Suns for the final play-in spot. They will be missing two key reserves with Devin Carter (right shoulder contusion) and Jake LaRavia (left thumb bone contusion) out due to injuries.
The Pacers (43-31) are fourth in the Eastern Conference. Bennedict Mathurin, the team’s third-leading scorer at 16.1 points per game, will miss his second game in a row due to left calf soreness. Myles Turner (15.4 ppg, 6.6 rpg) has been ruled out due to illness.
Here are three things to watch in Monday’s game.
Sacramento’s skid
The Kings have fallen to 10th in the West after losing five of six and nine of their last 12.
Sacramento now leads Phoenix by 1 ½ games for the final play-in spot after the Suns suffered a 148-109 loss to the Houston Rockets on Sunday. The Suns might have suffered an even bigger loss when Kevin Durant left the game with a left ankle sprain.
Phoenix has the most difficult remaining schedule in the NBA. The Suns will have a hard time catching the Kings if Durant is sidelined for any period of time.
Handling Tyrese Haliburton
The Kings will forever be linked to Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton after trading the gifted young guard to Indiana in the deal that brought Domantas Sabonis to Sacramento.
Haliburton is averaging 18.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 9.1 assists and 1.5 steals. He is shooting 47% from the field and 38.7% from 3-point range.
Haliburton had 14 points and eight assists in a 122-95 victory over the Kings on Dec. 22 in Sacramento.
Crunching numbers
The Kings are 21st in the NBA in offensive rating (112.4) and 29th in defensive rating (123.0) with a 3-9 record over the past 12 games.
They are 10th in scoring at 115.9 points per game over that stretch, but they are 20th in opponent points per game (115.8), 21st in opponent field-goal percentage (.473) and 30th in opponent 3-point percentage (.386).
Kings at Pacers
When: 4 p.m.
Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse
TV: NBC Sports California
Radio: Sactown Sports 1140
Odds: Pacers -5.5
Over/under: 235.5
Injury report
Kings: OUT— Devin Carter (shoulder); Jake LaRavia (thumb).
Pacers: PROBABLE — Quenton Jackson (G League). DOUBTFUL — RayJ Dennis (G League); Enrique Freeman (G League). OUT — Isaiah Jackson (Achilles); Bennedict Mathurin (calf).
This story was originally published March 31, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
