'He’s going to be a problem': De'Aaron Fox shows energy in California Classic victory

The energy was high among the sellout crowd at Golden 1 Center, thanks in large part to the electricity that De'Aaron Fox brought up and down the court all night.

The second-year point guard finished with 23 points, eight rebounds, six assists and three steals to lead the Kings to a 98-93 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday in their first game of the California Classic summer league tournament.

“That energy started off with the crowd,” Fox said. “They were in the game the entire (time) … a lot of people talk about when they come here to play, Sacramento has some of the best fans and that’s one of the reasons why. They just bring that energy into the stadium.”

The crowd was buzzing from the beginning, as forward Harry Giles, making his NBA debut after sitting out all of last season, blocked a shot a little over three minutes into the contest and ran downcourt for a successful transition layup. Seconds later, Fox delivered a pass to No. 2 overall draft pick Marvin Bagley III for a one-handed dunk over Lakers’ center Moritz Wagner.

The dunks continued to come for the former Duke forwards, something Giles said Fox had been encouraging them to do all game.

“He’s amazing … that’s what you ask from a point guard and that’s what I love,” Giles said. “That’s one of my favorite point guards throughout my lifetime.”

Fox’s ability to run the floor helped Giles and Bagley combine for 31 points on 12-of-21 shooting.

“I think (Fox) didn’t waste any time,” Kings’ summer league coach Larry Lewis said. “I think he got right down to business. He is more physical than I’ve seen him. He’s going to be a problem for a lot of opponents this summer and this season.”

Fox and the Kings will next play the Golden State Warriors, who will be led by center Jordan Bell, at 8 p.m. Tuesday for their second contest in the California Classic at Golden 1 Center.

This story was originally published July 2, 2018 at 11:57 PM.