"He would play in a wheelchair if he had to" - Marc J. Spears remarks on De'Aaron Fox's 'doubtful' status for Game 5 vs. Warriors
De'Aaron Fox put on a show on Sunday against the Golden State Warriors as he was close to willing his team to a 3-1 lead in the series. His stellar 38-point outing came at a price, however, as he fractured his left index finger, resulting in him being listed as doubtful to play in a crucial game against the Warriors at home.
Andscape's Marc J. Spears spoke with ESPN's Brian Windhorst regarding De'Aaron Fox's injury status for Game 5 on Wednesday night.
"I just knew from talking to De'Aaron Fox, from the beginning of the season, he wants this so bad," Spears said. "He would damn near play on fire if he had to, in a wheelchair if he had to. He wants this too bad. It just never registered with me on this injury, not even talking to him, not seeing him, that there was any chance that he wouldn't play."
The Athletic's Sean Amick posted a video on Twitter of De'Aaron Fox getting used to a splint on his fractured left index finger while practicing his shots.
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) https://t.co/yyFUFVjTgB
Spears' stance on Fox's injury status is further supported by The Athletic's Shams Charania, providing an update on how the Kings point guard is feeling about lacing up for Game 5.
Kings star De’Aaron Fox says today that he plans to play in Game 5 vs. Warriors while dealing with the fractured left index finger on shooting hand. twitter.com/shamscharania/…
The Kings are going to need anything Fox can give them, even if he isn't at 100%, as they will require all the firepower to match up against the Warriors' elite shotmaking.
Mike Brown on what went wrong for the Kings in Game 4 loss against the Warriors
Following the 126-125 Game 4 loss as the Warriors tied the series at 2-2, Kings coach Mike Brown didn't mince words as he criticized his players' poor decision-making with their half-court and transition offense.
"All of our guys are driving into two, sometimes three, guys in transition and begging for a call. … We wasted a ton of possessions in transition, driving and just throwing up some crazy stuff the floor," Brown said. "Stop and spray the ball. If we missed a wide-open 3, that is way better than driving and throwing up some crazy stuff."
Brown was critical of his players constantly asking and begging for a foul to be called by referees, instead of playing smart on offense by making proper reads.
Mike Brown saw the loss as a wasted golden opportunity to put immense pressure on the Warriors with a 3-1 series lead before heading home to Sacramento with all the momentum in their favor.
Even with the Warriors being a different version from the previous season, the Kings can't afford to take the defending champions lightly. Golden State has been here before as it is used to its back against the wall.