Kings vs. Thunder: Vezenkov out again? Hayward trade, injury updates and scouting reports

Sasha Vezenkov recently returned after missing seven games with a right ankle sprain, but now he’s out again with the same injury as the Kings head into a Super Bowl Sunday showdown with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Vezenkov was added to the injury report Saturday night. Guard Chris Duarte is also out with a right ankle sprain as the Kings prepare to face one of the top teams in the Western Conference.

Vezenkov returned to score three points in six minutes in Wednesday’s loss to the Detroit Pistons. He had six points in 16 minutes in Friday’s win over the Denver Nuggets. Vezenkov told The Sacramento Bee before Friday’s game his ankle was feeling better but still not 100%.

On Sunday, as the Kings were preparing to face Oklahoma City, The Bee learned Vezenkov is expected to be out for at least a few weeks. According to a league source, Vezenkov sprained the ankle again in practice Saturday. The timeline for Vevenkov’s return was unclear.

The Kings (30-21) have climbed back up to fifth in the Western Conference after winning seven of their past 10 games, five of them on the road. They are coming off one of their best games of the season, a 135-106 victory over the defending champion Nuggets, who shared the top spot in the West going into the game.

The Thunder (35-17) held the top spot in the West as recently as last week. However, Oklahoma City has fallen to fourth after losing its last two games to the Utah Jazz and Dallas Mavericks.

The Thunder will be playing the second game of a back-to-back after suffering a 146-111 road loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday afternoon. The Mavericks outshot the Thunder 58.2% to 38.8% while amassing a 54-40 rebounding advantage.

Oklahoma City trailed 47-30 at the end of the first quarter and 110-89 at the end of the third. Due to the lopsided score, none of the Thunder’s starters logged more than 29 minutes, and the early flight out of Dallas was only about an hour, so fatigue shouldn’t be much of a factor.

Oklahoma City won’t submit an injury report until Sunday, but Gordon Hayward is out with a calf strain and will not make his Thunder debut until after the All-Star break. The Thunder acquired Hayward from the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday in a trade that sent Davis Bertans, Tre Mann, Vasilije Micic, two second-round draft picks and cash considerations to Charlotte.

This will be the third of four games between the Kings and Thunder. The Kings beat the Thunder 105-98 on Nov. 10 and 128-123 on Dec. 14, both times in Sacramento. They will meet again April 9 in Oklahoma City.

Scouting Sacramento

De’Aaron Fox is averaging 26.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.9 steals in his seventh season out of Kentucky. His scoring and assists numbers have dipped in recent weeks, but his growing dedication to defense is showing. He has 21 steals over the past five games with five steals in two of those games and six in another.

Domantas Sabonis is having the best year of his career. He is averaging 19.8 points, 13.2 rebounds and 8.2 assists. Sabonis leads the NBA in rebounding, double-doubles (47) and triple-doubles (16). He has recorded 34 consecutive double-doubles with 12 triple-doubles in the past 21 games.

Keegan Murray (15.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg), Sixth Man of the Year candidate Malik Monk (15.0 ppg, 5.3 apg), Harrison Barnes (12.1 ppg), Kevin Huerter (11.0 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.7 apg) and Trey Lyles (7.9 ppg, 4.5 rpg) are also key contributors.

Scouting Oklahoma City

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has emerged as a leading MVP candidate this season, averaging 31.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 2.2 steals. He is shooting 54.7% from the field, 35.9% from 3-point range and 89% from the free-throw line on 9.1 attempts per game.

Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren are the team’s other leading scorers. Williams is averaging 18.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists. Holmgren, the 7-foot-1 rookie, averages 16.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.6 blocks.

Josh Giddey is putting up 11.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. Luguentz Dort is also scoring in double figures at 10.7 points per game.

Kings at Thunder

When: Noon

Where: Paycom Center

TV: NBC Sports California

Radio: Sactown Sports 1140

Odds: Thunder -3.5

Over/under: 239.5

Injury report

Thunder: OUT — Bismack Biyombo (not with team); Gordon Hayward (calf); Keyontae Johnson (G League).

Kings: OUT — Chris Duarte (ankle); Jordan Ford (G League); Mason Jones (G League); Jalen Slawson (G League); Sasha Vezenkov (ankle).

Upcoming schedule

Feb. 11 at Oklahoma City Thunder

Feb. 13 at Phoenix Suns

Feb. 14 at Denver Nuggets

Feb. 22 vs. San Antonio Spurs

Feb. 25 at Los Angeles Clippers