The Sacramento Kings are 8-6, placing them fourth in the Pacific division of the NBA’s Western Conference, where they are ranked seventh. Kings Forward DeMar DeRozan, who the Kings acquired last season, is out with a back issue in the win against the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday. DeRozan would leave the game and not return and hasn’t been back on the court since and is listed day to day. Another one of the Sacramento Kings players who is also day-to-day is Power Forward Domantas Sabonis, who is suffering from a back issue. You’re probably asking, if two of the three leading scorers for the Kings are out, who is holding it down for the Kings?
The Sacramento Kings won their game on Saturday against the Utah Jazz without DeRozan and Sabonis. According to ESPN, the Kings have been without shooting guard Malik Monk, who has a moderate ankle sprain, making him unavailable for possibly the next two weeks. On Friday, the Kings would lose in overtime against the Minnesota Timberwolves, where Anthony Edwards scored 36 points, going 14-of-27 from the field. Edwards also hit six three-pointers in that game but wasn’t the game’s high scorer.
De’Aaron Fox
In the overtime loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves 130-126, Kings Point Guard De’Aaron Fox would be the main talking point of the night. Fox would score 60 points Friday night, shooting 62.9% from the field. Fox would go 60% from three-point land and dish out seven dimes in that game. De’Aaron Fox would set a new franchise scoring record for the Kings, which was 59, set back when the team was in Cincinnati in 1960. The team wasn’t even called the Kings; it was the Royals. The player to hold the record was Jack Twyman. The only other Kings player to get close to breaking that record was DeMarcus Cousins with 56 in 2016.
Fox shot over 90% from the free throw line and scored 20 points in the fourth quarter. Fox scored six of the 15 points scored in overtime. According to the website TheScore, after Friday’s game, Fox had this to say: “I wanted this game to end in the fourth quarter, so I don’t even want to have the opportunity to (get 60 points), but my teammates wanted me to keep going, obviously.”
King Head Coach Mike Brown, impressed with Fox’s performance, had this to say after the game, according to TheScore, “He knew we needed help, and he put us on his back, and he almost carried us to the finish line. He did everything in his power, and it was a spectacular performance by him.”
Fox Scores 49
How would De’Aaron Fox of the Kings follow up his franchise record-breaking 60-point game performance? By the way, it was the first 60-point performance of this NBA season. Fox would score 49 points in a win against the Utah Jazz 121-117, and Fox didn’t need overtime to get this win. The Kings point guard shot 53% from the field, shooting 16-of-30. He would go 75% from the three-point line at 3-of-4, with nine assists, and 14-for-19 from the free throw line.
De’Aaron Fox has scored 109 points in the past two games for the Sacramento Kings. Only a few players have given back-to-back performances like this. Fox became the third player in NBA history to score 109 points in two days. NBA legends Wilt Chamberlain and Kobe Bryant are the only players to accomplish such feats in their careers. Not bad company to be in if your De’Aaron Fox. According to ESPN, Head Coach Mike Brown had this say after Fox’s 49-point follow-up performance, “Nobody can stop him from getting to his spots when he wants to. He’s feeling that. Not only is he feeling that, but he’s showing that.”
Final Thoughts
The next game for the Sacramento Kings will be against the Atlanta Hawks at home. One would wonder what kind of performance we will see from Fox. Also, will Saboins and DeRozan get well enough to join Fox on the court? Does Fox have more amazing games to dish out? Could he bring an NBA championship to the Kings like the new group of NBA legends his name is now with? Fan or not of Fox, you would have to say 109 points in two days is impressive, or are you going to hate?
