Is Deni Avdija playing tonight? Kings at Wizards injury update for March 21

On Tuesday, the Washington Wizards were tasked with facing the Houston Rockets at the Capital One Arena with just nine available players, a challenge set forth due to injuries to several key players for Washington. Despite their best efforts, the shorthanded Wizards were outmatched, surrendering 42 points to Rockets star Jalen Green and dropping the game by a score of 137-114.

The Wizards welcome the Sacramento Kings to the District on Thursday for the third game of the team's four-game homestand, looking to amend a five-game losing streak with a win. Sacramento enters the contest as winners of six of the team's last eight games, most recently with a dominant 123-89 win over the Toronto Raptors. If the Wizards hope to have a chance against this tough opponent, they will need some good fortune on Thursday's injury report.

Deni Avdija's status for Sacramento Kings at Washington Wizards on March 21

After slipping on Fred VanVleet's foot and injuring his knee in last week's matchup at the Toyota Center in Houston, Deni Avdija has missed three consecutive games, all of which have ended in 20-point deficits for the Wizards. The team's longest-tenured player, Deni provides an intensity for Washington that simply does not exist when he is inactive.

According to The Athletic's Josh Robbins' report on Wednesday evening, Avdija is listed as questionable to play on Thursday. The team has labeled his injury as a right knee contusion, a much better outcome to what was a nasty fall than what Wizards fans had feared when the play took place last Thursday. This season, Avdija is averaging a career-high 14 points per game.

Injury report for Sacramento Kings at Washington Wizards on March 21

Much like Tuesday, the Wizards enter Thursday's clash with a lengthy injury report, including rookie Bilal Coulibaly, who was ruled out for the season this week due to a fracture in his wrist. Appearing on the report after starting at center on Tuesday is eight-year NBA veteran Richaun Holmes, who is dealing with a non-COVID illness and is questionable to play.

Other players unavailable for Washington in Thursday's contest are Marvin Bagley III, Tyus Jones, Isaiah Livers, Eugene Omoruyi, and Landry Shamet. Interim coach Brian Keefe will once again call on his young players to make a more significant impact with the absence of several rotational options.

Returning to action after missing a pair of games this week due to a shoulder injury is the Wizards leading scorer, Kyle Kuzma. After reaching 20 points in 10 consecutive games, Kuzma struggled to make an impact against the Chicago Bulls this past Saturday, ending his streak with an 11-point performance at the United Center. Kuzma will look to get back on track against the Kings on Thursday.

As for Sacramento, the Kings are missing Kevin Huerter due to a dislocated shoulder and Sasha Vezenkov due to a sprained ankle. This season, Huerter has provided solid production in his role with the Kings, averaging 10.6 points in 24.4 minutes per game.

Washington Wizards upcoming schedule

Following Thursday's matchup with Sacramento, the Wizards will have just a dozen games remaining on their regular season schedule. With postseason play well out of the question, coach Keefe and his staff will look to maximize the growth of this roster down the home stretch, which features quite a few games at Capital One Arena.

Saturday, March 23 vs. Toronto Raptors at 8:00 PM ET

Monday, March 25 at Chicago Bulls at 8:00 PM ET

Wednesday, March 27 vs. Brooklyn Nets at 7:00 PM ET