Kings forward Marvin Bagley III suffered a fractured left hand in the first half of Sacramento’s 122-116 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night.
The third-year big man exited the game with 2:59 remaining in the first half having already registered 12 points on 6-for-9 shooting, three rebounds and a blocked shot in 16 minutes. An X-ray administered at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte revealed a fracture of the fourth metacarpal in his left hand, according to the team.
Bagley will undergo further medical treatment in the coming days, and an update on his potential recovery timeline will be provided, the team said.
It’s unclear how Bagley sustained the injury.
“I still just really feel for him,” Kings coach Luke Walton said. “He’s put in so much hard work this year. I’ve said all year long, he’s continued to make really big strides, and he was putting together a heck of a game tonight. We’re going to miss him, miss him out there on the floor with us. We feel for him, but that’s what being part of a team is about. We’ll be there for him, and we need to find a way to get some other players to step and try and fill in for what he was doing for us.”
Bagley’s scoring average had gone up every month this season — from 11.8 points per game in December to 13.8 points in January to 15.2 points on 51.9% shooting in February before this injury came in his fifth game played in March.
It’s another setback for the former No. 2 pick in the 2018 draft, who played in just 13 games last season due to various injuries, including a broken right thumb and lateral right foot sprain.
“The guy has been playing really well, works his butt off and it’s unfortunate, but that’s part of it,” said guard Tyrese Haliburton. “We have to figure it out. There’s no magic potion to heal him, so we have to figure this out without him. He’ll still be with us every day, cheering us on and being a great teammate.”
The Kings (15-24) have lost 13 of their past 16 games.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.