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Haliburton won't let Kings' struggles define him: 'I'm going to help fix this'

Adam Glanzman / Getty Images Sport / Getty

As the perpetually struggling Sacramento Kings remain on pace to miss the playoffs for the 16th straight season, second-year guard Tyrese Haliburton is adamant about not letting the franchise's historical woes define him as well.

"I'm here to help us win," Haliburton said following Tuesday's 128-75 road loss to the Boston Celtics. "Obviously, the Kings haven't won in the past. Haven't been in the playoffs, whatever, 15 years. But I refuse to let the culture of what the Kings have been in the past take over who I am as a person."

The 53-point blowout in Boston dropped the Kings to 18-31 (.367) on the year, their worst winning percentage since 2017-18. They're currently three games behind the 10th-seeded Portland Trail Blazers for the Western Conference's fourth and final play-in berth.

Sacramento is just 43-60 (.417) with Haliburton in the lineup since selecting him 12th overall in 2020.

Haliburton, for his part, has steadily built on his debut season. The 6-foot-5 combo guard has upped his production to 13.8 points, 7.2 assists, four rebounds, and 1.6 steals a night after becoming a permanent fixture of the starting lineup.

Still, the 21-year-old knows it will take time to re-establish the team as a winner.

"It's obviously dark right now," Haliburton said. "We're not where we want to be, but there's still a lot of season left throughout this year. And I'm a member of the Sacramento Kings, so I'm going to help fix this.

"I don't know how long it's gonna take. It ain't going to be in a day, it ain't going to be in a month. But I'mma be here, and we're going to make it work. I promise you that."

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