Fans feared the worst as Rudy Gay and Ben McLemore left Friday’s preseason finale versus the Lakers in Las Vegas with head injuries. The Sacramento Kings announced today both will be ready to play in the regular season opener on Wednesday against the Golden State Warriors.
Gay was elbowed in the cheek as Julius Randle dribbled the ball up-court in the second quarter. The Kings forward’s CT scan returned negative, quelling concern that he reaggrivated a broken jaw suffered in the FIBA World Cup in September.
McLemore suffered a laceration above his right eye when he initiated a fast break and collided into Wayne Ellington. The injury appeared gruesome as blood streamed down his face before he received a towel from the Kings training staff. X-rays on the former Kansas Jayhawk were also negative and the Kings reported he needed five stitches to close the wound.
In roster-related news, the team waived shooting guard Trey Johnson. The 30-year-old has appeared in 23 NBA regular season games with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto Raptors, Lakers and New Orleans Hornets. He played 12 total minutes for the Kings this preseason. The journeyman has career averages of 1.9 points and 1.1 rebounds in 7.3 minutes per game.
The Kings roster now stands at 14 players, one below the league maximum of 15.
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