Rookie center Maxime Raynaud exited the Sacramento Kings’ loss Friday night with an apparent leg injury that caused him to limp off the floor midway through the fourth quarter.
Raynaud appeared to twist his left foot while setting a screen for Russell Westbrook as the Kings trailed the Phoenix Suns. Raynaud fell to the ground and immediately grabbed his left knee in pain. He was helped to the locker room by a member of the Kings’ training staff.
In unfortunate irony for the Kings, Westbrook scored a basket on the play, which pushed him past Oscar Robertson (26,710) as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer at the point guard position. The Kings lost the game to the Suns, 129-102.
Raynaud, who said after the game that would undergo an MRI in Sacramento on Saturday, said he believes he avoided a serious knee injury.
“I’ll be fine,” he said. “It was just scary. ... I think it was just an unpleasing sensation you’re not used to.”
The Kings have already been without starting center Domantas Sabonis since Nov. 16 because of a partially torn meniscus in his left knee. It’s allowed Raynaud to start 13 games and average 10.7 points and 6.3 rebounds over 22.7 minutes before Friday. He exited with 6 points and 5 rebounds in 25:25.
Kings coach Doug Christie remained guarded speakng about Raynaud’s injury after the game.
“He was smiling (after the game), so that’s always good,” Christie said. “But always fingers crossed for young players. He plays so hard and he plays with his heart. When you see stuff like that, it just doesn’t necessarily sit with you, but got my fingers crossed.”