Sacramento Kings rookie Nique Clifford is expected to miss at least four games as his team prepares to open a five-game road trip against the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday at Spectrum Center.
The Kings said Clifford and point guard Killian Hayes underwent MRIs after suffering injuries in Sunday’s win over the Brooklyn Nets at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. Clifford is expected to miss at least a week with a left midfoot sprain. Hayes is considered day-to-day due to left toe inflammation.
The Kings (19-53) have won five of their last eight games despite being besieged by injuries. They finished Sunday’s game with only eight players after Clifford and Hayes went down with injuries.
Daeqwon Plowden (right foot soreness) is listed as probable for Tuesday’s game against the Hornets. Hayes and Precious Achiuwa (lower back soreness) are considered questionable. Clifford has been ruled out along with Drew Eubanks (thumb), De’Andre Hunter (eye), Zach LaVine (finger), Keegan Murray (ankle), Domantas Sabonis (knee), Isaiah Stevens (G League) and Russell Westbrook (foot).
The Hornets (37-34) are 10th in the Eastern Conference with an eight-game lead over the Milwaukee Bucks for the final play-in spot. They have gone 21-6 since Jan. 22 after going 16-28 to start the season.
Rookie standout Kon Knueppel (lower back soreness) is listed as probable for Tuesday’s game against the Kings. Tidjane Salaun (left calf strain) has been ruled out along with Tosan Evbbuomwan (G League), PJ Hall (G League) and Antonio Reeves (G League).
The Hornets handed the Kings a 117-109 loss when they met in Sacramento on March 11. Lonzo Ball scored 30 points in that contest. Miles Bridges scored 26 points, Knueppel had 24 and Brandon Miller had 20.
The Hornets won despite a huge game from DeMar DeRozan, who scored a season-high 39 points on 17-of-22 shooting.
Kings at Hornets
When: 4 p.m.
Where: Spectrum Center
TV: NBC Sports California
Odds: Hornets -17.5
Over/under: 230.5
Injury report
Kings: PROBABLE — Daeqwon Plowden (foot). QUESTIONABLE — Precious Achiuwa (back); Killian Hayes (ankle). OUT — Nique Clifford (foot); Drew Eubanks (thumb); De’Andre Hunter (eye); Zach LaVine (finger); Keegan Murray (ankle); Domantas Sabonis (knee); Isaiah Stevens (G League); Russell Westbrook (foot).
Hornets: PROBABLE — Kon Knueppel (back). OUT — Tosan Evbbuomwan (G League); PJ Hall (G League); Antonio Reeves (G League); Tidjane Salaun (calf).
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Jason Anderson is The Sacramento Bee’s Kings beat writer. He is a Sacramento native and a graduate of Fresno State, where he studied journalism and college basketball under the late Jerry Tarkanian.