De’Aaron Fox returns in scrimmage loss to Milwaukee Bucks; declares himself ’100%’
Kings coach Luke Walton said he was encouraged by two things in Saturday’s scrimmage against the Milwaukee Bucks at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando.
One was the number of turnovers his team committed. The other was the return of De’Aaron Fox, who made his NBA bubble debut after missing Wednesday’s scrimmage against the Miami Heat due to an ankle injury.
Reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo put up 15 points, nine rebounds and six assists in just 15 minutes, helping the Bucks beat the Kings 123-113 at The Arena, one of three venues where games are being played in the bubble. Buddy Hield scored 19 points, Kent Bazemore had 16 points and eight rebounds, and DaQuan Jeffries continued to impress in a backup role for the Kings, but the short-haired Fox was the most welcome sight for a team for a team that has been shorthanded.
Fox, sporting the new hairdo after sheering off his trademark locks, posted seven points and six assists in 19 minutes for the Kings, who committed just 10 turnovers after finishing with 18 against Miami. Fox went 2 of 7 from the field and missed all three of his 3-point attempts, but he got to the free-throw line four times, committed only two turnovers and showed his usual burst.
“Very encouraging, both having De’aaron Fox back on the floor and the total number of turnovers,” Walton said. “We knew De’Aaron hasn’t played in a while and a big part of getting him out there today was just trying to get his body and his feet under him again, so it was great having him out there. And as far as the turnovers, that was probably the highlight of the game for me.”
Fox said he was fully healed 10 days after spraining his left ankle in practice, saying he felt less discomfort than when he returned from a right ankle injury in December. Barring setbacks, Fox will participate in Monday’s scrimmage against the Los Angeles Clippers as the Kings prepare to resume NBA play against the San Antonio Spurs on Friday.
“I think I’m 100% now,” Fox said. “I think now I feel a lot better than I did when I came back during the season. … There’s a reason I wanted to really play in this game just to give myself time to analyze exactly what needs to be done. My body felt fine. My ankle feels good. Just being able to get out there and get those games reps is really what I wanted. I’ll be able to make those adjustments Monday against the Clippers and whatever day that spurs game is, I know I’m going to bring it.”
Personnel department
The Kings were still without Harrison Barnes, Richaun Holmes and Alex Len. Walton hopes Holmes will be able to play in Monday’s scrimmage after completing his mandatory 10-day quarantine for leaving the NBA bubble last week.
Barnes arrived Friday after clearing COVID-19 protocols and could join the team in practice as soon as Sunday. Len arrived June 17, but Walton indicated he still needs time to get back in shape after battling the virus for 24 days.
Marvin Bagley III will miss the remainder of the season with a lateral right foot sprain, but Barnes, Holmes and Len will bolster the frontcourt when they return. The Kings have been hit hard by the coronavirus and injuries in recent weeks, but they feel they are nearing full strength as the eight-game sprint to the NBA playoffs is about to begin.
“I think the optimism is at an all-time high right now with our approach every day getting better and still so much to come down the road,” Bazemore said. “With Alex Len, Holmes and Harrison, we’re getting better every day and having Fox back is definitely a breath of fresh air. He looked amazing yesterday in practice and it kind of carried over today. Once he gets his timing and stuff back, watch out.”
Bombs away
The Kings took 103 shots and launched 48 3-point attempts against the Bucks. Hield, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Nemanja Bjelica each made three 3-pointers.
The Kings played with much more pace than they did against Miami, but they weren’t nearly as efficient. They shot 51.5 percent from the field and 39.3 percent from beyond the arc in a 104-98 loss to the Heat. They shot 40.8 percent overall and 33.3 percent from 3-point range against the Bucks.
Milwaukee made 20 of 45 from long distance, shooting 44.4 percent. Brothers Brook and Robin Lopez combined to make 6 of 8 from 3-point range.
Rotation
Walton stayed with a nine-man rotation for the first three quarters before emptying his bench in the fourth.
The Kings started Fox, Bogdanovic, Bazemore, Bjelica and Harry Giles III. When Walton turned to his bench, he brought on Hield, Cory Joseph, Jeffries and Corey Brewer.
Walton went deeper into his bench in the fourth quarter, ending the game with Yogi Ferrell, Kyle Guy, Justin James, Jeffries and Jabari Parker. Brewer led that group with 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting and five rebounds. Jeffries made just 3 of 9 from the field but finished with 10 points, six rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocked shots.
D.J. Wilson, who starred at Capital Christian High School in Sacramento, came off the bench to post four points and eight rebounds for the Bucks.
This story was originally published July 25, 2020 at 4:19 PM.
