Kings’ Murray stars in impressive California Classic debut originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
The Kings surprised a lot of fans and experts when they took Keegan Murray with the No. 4 overall selection in the 2022 NBA Draft over Purdue guard Jaden Ivey. But in the first glimpse of the Iowa product, Sacramento has to like what it saw.
Murray scored a game-high 26 points in the Kings’ California Classic opener against the Warriors at Chase Center on Saturday. He shot 10-of-14 from the field, 4-of-5 from 3-point range and grabbed eight rebounds in Sacramento’s 86-68 win.
The 21-year-old forward was the best player on the court in San Francisco, showing off all the skills that attracted the Kings to him.
Murray got the scoring started with a corner 3-pointer, a play he later said was drawn up by the coaching staff to get him comfortable.
“I think we have a really good chemistry as a team, especially these last three days, I felt we’ve bonded really well on and off the court,” Murray told reporters after the game. “For me, I saw the first shot go in and that kind of sparked my confidence a little bit. Honestly, that helps a lot especially in your first professional action, so that first shot went in and I felt comfortable the rest of the way.”
Murray officially signed his NBA rookie contract earlier on Saturday and then he balled out in his first game since being drafted.
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The new-look Kings have high hopes for Murray, and if Saturday’s performance is any indication, he could be part of a bright future in Sacramento.
