Kings’ DeMar DeRozan exits win early due to back strain

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Sacramento Kings guard DeMar DeRozan was ruled out of Wednesday night’s 127-104 win over the Phoenix Suns because of back tightness, the team announced.

DeRozan did not come out of the locker room after halftime and was ejected shortly after. He scored two points on 1-of-2 shooting in 17 minutes in the first half.

So far this year, DeRozan has been Mr. Clutch for Sacramento; he has scored 36 points this season – the second best mark in the league. Overall, he is averaging 24.8 points on 52.6% shooting in 38 minutes.

Losing DeRozan for an extended period would be a big hit, as the Kings are already without sixth man Malik Monk (ankle) for at least two weeks.