Fox delivers on both sides of court in Kings’ win Lakers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
The Kings’ 120-114 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday at Crypto.com Arena shows that Sacramento is serious about challenging for a playoff spot.
Although the Kings had to grind out a win, beating teams below them — such as the Lakers — is a must if Mike Brown’s team wants the rest of the NBA to take them seriously as a playoff contender.
The Kings and Lakers went back and forth, but the X-factor in the matchup was De’Aaron Fox. With the stars shining bright in Hollywood, the 24-year-old scored 32 points and recorded 12 assists while also taking over the game late, hitting the dagger to seal the win.
“He’s aggressive,” Domantas Sabonis told Morgan Ragan and Kenny Thomas on “Kings Postgame Live” when discussing Fox’s performance against the Lakers. “He knows it doesn’t matter how the game is going. At the end of the game, you get him the ball, he’s going to make the right reads, and he’s been amazing. He’s been amazing for a long time and he’s clutch.”
While Sabonis praised Fox’s 32-point game in Los Angeles, Brown praised the Kings than for being more than just a scorer. Brown highlighted the guard’s play on both sides of the ball and his leadership helped Sacramento nab against the Lakers.
“I know he can score in the past, but I just wasn’t seeing the production on both sides of the floor while getting a win,” Brown told reporters after the win.
“We were struggling and we went to him and he did what a star is supposed to do, and not only did he do his job, but he did his job while getting us a win … I’m seeing him lead and take on responsibilities at the right time.”
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Following a quick one-game road trip to Los Angeles, Fox and the Kings will face the Warriors for the third time in 12 games at Golden 1 Center on Sunday.
The last time these two teams met, it ended on a controversial no-call as Klay Thompson made heavy contact with Kevin Huerter as he went for the game-tying 3-point attempt.
As a result, there’s no doubt the game’s officiating will be under the microscope.
