Warriors Get Bailed Out As Sacramento Kings All-Star De'Aaron Fox Fractures Hand

Published|Updated

UPDATE (4/25): Kings star De'Aaron Fox plans to suit up for Wednesday's game and play through pain against the Warriors, according to Shams Charania.

The Sacramento Kings really had people rallying around them after taking a 2-0 series lead against the reigning champion Golden State Warriors.

Now they're plummeting back to earth, tied 2-2 in the series and likely without their best player heading into Wednesday's Game 5.

According to The Athletic / Stadium's Shams Charania, Kings All-Star De'Aaron Fox suffered a finger fracture in his shooting hand (left) during Sunday's Game 4. His status for Game 5 is leaning toward 'doubtful,' per Shams.

Kings Suffer Major Loss At Wrong Time With De'Aaron Fox Injury

"The Kings All-Star guard is believed to have sustained the injury midway through the fourth quarter of Sunday’s Game 3," Shams reported.

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Fox has been stellar throughout the series, showcasing that an unknown star in a small market is capable of tearing up the competition.

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De'Aaron Fox #5 of the Sacramento Kings (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)

Fox scored 38 points on Sunday, adding nine rebounds and five assists. He scored 21 of his 38 points in the first half.

Leading up to a clutch three-point shot to take the lead in the final seconds, Fox appeared out of sorts, likely due to the hand injury. Fox fumbled the dribble during several late-game sequences.

Coming off of a 16-year hiatus from the playoffs, Sacramento's miracle season had Kings and NBA fans hoping the Kings could go as far as the conference finals.

Should the Kings play without Fox, odds will expectedly be low for Sacramento to take the series lead in Game 5. Having Fox at less than 100 percent makes fending off the experienced Warriors a tough ask for the Kings.

Now they're facing a first-round exit at the hands of one of the league's most annoying teams.

It's disappointing that the underdog Kings (arguably the league's best story his year) may not complete their quest to dethrone the champs.

The Kings need De'Aaron Fox and their sacred purple victory beam now more than ever. It's hard to imagine one without the other.