The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

Mired in a losing streak for his Sacramento Kings and shooting slump of his own, Buddy Hield sounded off on everything from his spot in the rotation to trust issues in the locker room as the Kings continue to plummet.

Hield has since apologised to the team for his locker room rant following Friday’s double overtime loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. He may have smoothed things over in the locker room but the Kings’ losing streak continued.

Headed into last night’s game against Denver, the Kings lost six consecutive games to fall to 12-20, and No.11 in the Western Conference standings.

Over the six-game stretch, Hield has averaged just 13.1 points per game on 29.5 per cent from field and 30.5 per cent from three-point range.

He failed to reach the 20-point scoring plateau for six straight games or lead the Kings in scoring until he finished with 23 points (8-17 field goals, 4-6 on three pointers) in Saturday’s 112-110 loss to the Phoenix Suns.

Against the Timberwolves, Hield played just four minutes in the fourth quarter and just about a minute in the first overtime period.

“It seems like we’re all over the place. A lot of trust issues going on. Guys stop believing in players, they have who they have playing out there and I just have to be supportive. I’m a team first guy no matter what. I feel like we should have won that game in regulation but I’m not the coach so I can’t say anything about it. I’m a player, I like to be on the court. I like to make plays, make shots. I feel like I wasn’t trusted the past two games to be on the court.

“As a player no matter what I feel like it’s my job to go out there and compete on a high level and guys know if I’m struggling or not, still got to ride the wave,” Hield said following the loss.

“Everybody is getting scored on so you can’t say its anything defensively so you have to come with a different excuse for me. I could make shots, but everybody’s missing shots so I don’t know. I feel like I’m one of the better players on the team, I feel like I should be out there in the fourth quarter trying to help my team win.”

Kings head coach Luke Walton said Hield spoke on the situation privately with the team prior to the game against the Suns.

“He showed maturity and responsibility and addressed his teammates before we started and I was happy to see that,” As chemistry concerns mount, injuries continue to hamper the Kings climb out of the Western Conference cellar.

In the midst of an 0-5 start, the Kings suffered injuries to the 2018 #2 overall pick Marvin Bagley weeks and De’Aaron Fox, the 2017 #5 overall pick.

Both recently returned to the court but are once again sidelined with injuries suffered over the weekend.

Fox left the Minnesota game after just two minutes due to back spasms, five games since he got back from an ankle injury. He is currently listed as day-to-day.

Bagley suffered a foot injury, diagnosed as a sprain that will keep him sidelined for “the next few games” according to the Kings.

The Kings core of Hield, Fox and Bagley have played just 49 minutes together this season.

“We are frustrated. This is what we talk about. This is where we have to continue to stick together and fight through as a group,” Walton said.