De'Aaron Fox plans to play in Kings-Warriors Game 5 with broken finger
De'Aaron Fox was hoisting up shots at practice on Tuesday, a day after the Sacramento Kings announced that he has a fractured finger.
Afterward, he told reporters that he plans to play on Wednesday in a critical Game 5 against the Golden State Warriors.
“If it was the regular season, probably don’t play, sit out for a week or two and see how it feels," Fox told reporters. "But right now there’s no ifs, ands or buts. I’m playing.
Head coach Mike Brown later confirmed that Fox had been medically cleared to play.
Fox sustained an avulsion fracture on the tip of the index finger of his left hand during Sunday's Game 4 loss to Golden State. Despite the injury to his shooting hand, the Kings didn't rule him out for Game 5 with the series tied at 2-2. He was officially listed as doubtful on Monday.
He showed up to practice Tuesday with a splint on his finger and tested out his shot. Video captured by the Athletic's Sam Amick shows Fox shooting from close range then moving beyond the 3-point arc.
De’Aaron Fox, in real time, figuring out how to shoot with the splint he’s now wearing on his injured left index finger…
(1 for 6 from three in this clip) pic.twitter.com/yyFUFVjTgB— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) April 25, 2023
He continued to get up shots from other spots from the floor.
De’Aaron Fox shooting after practice. He has a split on his left index finger. pic.twitter.com/LB68lkyR5J
— Chris Biderman (@ChrisBiderman) April 25, 2023
After the session, Fox talked about the challenges of playing with the injury and the splint.
Fox thinks he will play. pic.twitter.com/saBhJk9QAA
— James Ham (@James_HamNBA) April 25, 2023
"For me right now, it's just tolerance of the pad on my finger, making sure I can shoot the ball," Fox said. "As we got going, as the pain started going away, I feel like I could do my normal shot. I think I'll be good."
Fox's availability is critical for the Kings in a tied series against the reigning champion Warriors. Sacramento's leading scorer, he averaged 25 points, 6.1 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.1 steals during the regular season. He's upped his All-Star production in the playoffs while averaging 31.5 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds in four games against Golden State.
Fox played through the injury after appearing to sustain it with 4:35 remaining in Sunday's game. He hit a jump shot on the play after the contact that appeared to cause the fracture, then hit a 3-pointer in the final minute to pull the Kings within one point. He finished the game with 38 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter. The fracture wasn't diagnosed until X-rays revealed it on Monday.
Wednesday's game is scheduled for a 10 p.m. ET tip in Sacramento.
