Kings gameday live: Haliburton shakes side effects of COVID-19 booster; ready for Magic

Kings guard Tyrese Haliburton returned to practice Tuesday after missing a day due to illness as his team prepared to face the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night at Golden 1 Center.

Interim coach Alvin Gentry explained Haliburton wasn’t feeling well Monday after getting a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot, but he felt much better Tuesday.

“It was just the aftereffects of the booster shot that he got,” Gentry said. “He’s fine. He was just a little under the weather, but he came back and he’s fine.”

Haliburton said he received the booster shot following Sacramento’s 104-99 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.

“Yeah, I got the booster after our last game, so just some side effects of that, but 24 hours and I was fine,” Haliburton said.

The Kings (10-14) are not listing Haliburton on their injury report for Wednesday’s game against Orlando. Harrison Barnes and Maurice Harkless are questionable. Barnes has missed five games with a right foot sprain. Harkless has missed four games due to left knee soreness.

Michael Carter-Williams (ankle), Markelle Fultz (knee), Jonathan Isaac (knee), E’Twaun Moore (knee) and Jalen Suggs (thumb) are out for the Magic (5-20), which has lost nine of 10 after suffering a 126-95 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Monday.

Looking ahead

The Kings will open a three-game road trip Friday against a Charlotte Hornets team that is missing some key players, including 2021 NBA Rookie of the Year LaMelo Ball.

Ball, Terry Rozier, Mason Plumlee, Jalen McDaniels and Ish Smith have all been ruled out for Wednesday’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers due to NBA health and safety protocols. It remains to be seen whether any of those players will be cleared to return in time for Friday’s game against the Kings.

Ball, Rozier and Plumlee are starters. McDaniels and Smith are rotational backups. The Hornets have played well despite their absences, beating the Atlanta Hawks 130-127 on Sunday before falling 127-124 to the 76ers in overtime Monday.

Status updates

Barnes (foot) and Harkless (knee) are still considered questionable, but the Kings are making guard Jahmi’us Ramsey, forward Robert Woodard II and rookie center Neemias Queta available for Monday’s game against the Magic.

Ramsey has appeared in seven games this season. Woodard has appeared in one game. Queta, the 39th overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft, has yet to make his NBA debut.

Orlando Magic at Sacramento Kings

When: 7 p.m.

Where: Golden 1 Center

TV: NBC Sports California

Radio: Sports 1140 KHTK

Odds: Kings -7.0

Over/under: 220

Injury report

Magic: OUT — Michael Carter-Williams (ankle); Markelle Fultz (knee); Jonathan Isaac (knee); E’Twaun Moore (knee); Jalen Suggs (thumb).

Kings: Kings: QUESTIONABLE — Maurice Harkless (knee); Harrison Barnes (foot).

Note: Check back for updates with the latest news, notes, quotes and injury updates throughout the day leading up to tonight’s game between the Kings and Clippers.