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Kendra Andrews, ESPN
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox could tell he was hot in the first quarter of the 121-117 win over the Utah Jazz on Saturday night.
He didn’t miss a shot in the first 12 minutes. And as he continued to keep getting downhill, and also got his three shot falling, he knew he was in a zone.
Fox scored 49 points. This comes just one game — and one night — after scoring 60 points.
“I was a little tired coming in today, but I feel like when the game started I was fine,” Fox said. “I’m not going to say I’m not tired … but I can’t say this back-to-back has made me more tired than any other back-to-back.”
He became the second player in Sacramento history to score at least 100 points in a two-game span, with the other being DeMarcus Cousins in 2016 when he scored 104. Fox is just the third player in NBA history to score at least 109 over two days, joining Kobe Bryant (2007) and Wilt Chamberlain (17 different times).
“Woah,” Kings coach Mike Brown said when he heard that stat, a big grin spreading across his face. “The back-to-back, the overtime game, him playing 75 minutes last night … for him to come with us missing three of our top six guys, that’s what says OK, he’s DeAaron Fox and he did his job. Wilt, Kobe, Foxy.”
“Nobody can stop him from getting to his spots when he wants to,” Brown continued. “He’s feeling that. Not only is he feeling that, but he’s showing that.”
With the Kings missing DeMar DeRozan, Domantas Sabonis and Malik Monk, Fox has been operating with a heavier workload.
Brown said he didn’t have to have a conversation with Fox about picking up the slack. It was already understood.
“When you have guys of his caliber — and I’ve been around the Stephs and the KDs and the Kobes and the LeBrons and the Tim Duncans… they get to their spots when they want to,” Brown said. “The biggest difference between those guys and the other pretty good players is that they do it consistently. So no, I didn’t have to say anything to Fox. He knew … he had to carry us.”
Fox tried not to approach the game with the mindset of needing to make up for the scoring lost by those three players. But instead focusing on the scoring tactics he’s been emphasizing all season long.
Fox scored at every level on Saturday, shooting 16-of-30 from the floor, only three of which were 3’s. He also shot 14-of-16 from the free throw line — the two of which he missed he apologized for.
Against the Timberwolves the night prior, Fox went 22-of-35 from the field, with six made 3’s and 10 made free throws.
“Being able to get downhill and touching the paint has worked wonders,” Fox said. “Whenever you are able to do that, you’re able to one, get to the rim, two, get to the free throw line and three, you’re able to still create for teammates. I’m trying to have a point of emphasis on that.”
