SACRAMENTO -- The Sacramento Kings have been relatively healthy for the first month and a half of the season, with only a handful of missed games due to injury. On Monday night against the Los Angeles Lakers, Rudy Gay and Ben McLemore left the contest in the first half and could not return.
Both players were examined further and are listed as day-to-day according to the team.
Gay has been diagnosed with an iliacus (hip flexor) muscle strain. The 11-year NBA veteran has played in all but one game this season for Sacramento, missing their Nov. 5 against the Bucks with strained ribs. He returned to action the next night in Toronto, dropping 23 points and five rebounds in a win over his former team.
Gay was walking gingerly following the Lakers game, but told CSN California that he thought he was okay. The 30-year-old forward is averaging 18.6 points and 6.2 rebounds in 33.5 minutes a night as the Kings starting small forward.
McLemore started the previous four games for Sacramento at the shooting guard spot. The 23-year-old wing has a vastus lateralis (quad muscle) contusion. Although healthy throughout the campaign, McLemore has played in just 19 of the Kings 24 games. He’s averaging a career-low 6.1 points in 16.1 minutes per game for coach Dave Joerger.
Both players are expected to make the trip to Houston on Tuesday, but their availability is in question. The Kings recalled Georgios Papagiannis, Skal Labissiere and Malachi Richardson from the Reno Bighorns before leaving for Houston.
