Maxime Raynaud’s strong preseason night ended with the Sacramento Kings center leaving Chase Center in a wheelchair after hurting his right knee in Saturday’s 111-106 exhibition loss to Golden State.
Raynaud injured on Curry screen
- With 2:32 remaining before halftime, Raynaud set a screen for guard Darius Acuff Jr. against Stephen Curry. Curry also hit the floor after the contact.
- Raynaud immediately cried out, grabbed his right knee and went down hard. He remained on his back while Kings medical personnel attended to him on the court.
- After being helped to his feet, the 7-foot-1 center was placed in a wheelchair and taken to the locker room. General manager Scott Perry accompanied him off the floor.
- Sacramento owner Vivek Ranadive later stopped outside the locker room to check on Raynaud.
- Raynaud departed Chase Center on crutches with ice wrapped around the knee. He was smiling and appeared upbeat, but had no diagnosis before leaving for testing.
“I don’t know yet. I’m headed for an MRI now,” Raynaud said as he exited the arena.
A productive nine-minute stretch cut short
Before the injury, Raynaud had given Sacramento an efficient first-half lift. He made each of his three field-goal attempts, including a 3-pointer, and hit all three free throws for 10 points. In just under nine minutes, he also posted five rebounds, one assist and one blocked shot.
Raynaud entered the preseason averaging 12.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists. The 23-year-old Frenchman was Sacramento’s No. 42 overall pick in the second round of last year’s draft and averaged 12.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists across 74 games as a rookie.
Acuff said the sight of Raynaud on the floor hit the group immediately. “It’s always difficult when you see one of your teammates go down,” he said.
Kings rally around their center
Veteran forward Ben Simmons, making his Kings preseason debut, spoke with Raynaud after the injury. Simmons had not played in more than a year after sitting out last season while dealing with chronic back trouble and other health issues.
“He’s my teammate, and it’s awful when somebody goes down,” Simmons said. “I’ve had injuries, so I understand that moment. It can feel like everything is over right then. I wanted him to know we’re behind him, whether this turns out to be serious or not.”
Coach Doug Christie declined to project a timetable or severity before the MRI results, focusing instead on Raynaud’s place within the roster.
“We love him,” Christie said. “He’s part of everything we do.”
