‘I’m playing’: De’Aaron Fox returns to lead Kings to critical win over Grizzlies
Ninety minutes before tipoff, Kings coach Luke Walton said De’Aaron Fox’s status for Friday night’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies would be a gametime decision.
When Fox came off the floor following a rigorous warm-up routine 45 minutes later, he said the decision had been made.
“I’m not 100 percent, but I can play,” Fox said. “I feel like I can go, so I’m playing.”
Fox missed Thursday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder due to lower abdominal tightness, but he wasn’t going to miss this.
Fox scored 25 points and made big baskets in the final minutes, helping the Kings gain ground in the Western Conference playoff race with a 104-101 victory over the Grizzlies at FedExForum. Harry Giles III scored 16 points for the Kings (25-34), who now trail the Grizzlies by three games for the eighth seed in the West. Nemanja Bjelica recorded a double-double, posting 13 points and 11 rebounds. Buddy Hield scored 14 points, including two clutch free throws in the final seconds.
Dillon Brooks scored 32 points for the Grizzlies (28-31). Ja Morant had 20 points and 11 assists. Jonas Valanciunas had 13 points and 25 rebounds.
The Kings trailed Memphis by seven games coming out of the All-Star break. They have shaved four games off the Grizzlies’ lead, winning three of their last four and nine of 14. The Kings would have to leapfrog the Portland Trail Blazers, the New Orleans Pelicans and the Grizzlies to make an improbable run to the playoffs, but they are only a half-game behind the Blazers and one game behind the Pelicans with 23 games remaining.
“It was a win that we knew that we needed,” Fox said. “It was a good win and we’ll take wins where we can get them.”
The Kings kept that dream alive with Friday’s win over the Grizzlies, but they didn’t look like they were up to the challenge in the opening minutes on the second night of a back-to-back. They made just 5 of 24 from the field and 2 of 11 from 3-point range to start the game. The Grizzlies raced out to an early double-digit lead and went up 28-16 on a basket by Brooks late in the first quarter.
Sacramento cut the deficit to two early in the second period and took a 44-43 lead on a free throw by Harrison Barnes with 2:07 to play in the half. The Kings carried a 50-47 advantage into the halftime break. They staged a 9-2 run to take a 63-54 lead on a 3-pointer by Fox and extended their lead to 11 on another basket by Fox 16 seconds later, prompting Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins to call a timeout.
The Grizzlies made a run to get within four late in the third quarter, but the Kings dialed up the defensive intensity and quickly reestablished a double-digit lead early in the fourth. Tempers flared after Memphis made another charge to get within four on a basket by Valanciunas with 5:31 remaining. Giles and Valanciunas got tangled up under the basket on the play and had to be separated after they went nose to nose, drawing double technical fouls.
The Kings were clinging to a six-point lead when Fox drilled a step-back 3-pointer from the top of the arc with 2:48 to play, but the Grizzlies still wouldn’t go away. They cut the deficit to one on a three-point play by Morant in the frantic final minutes, but Hield pushed the lead back to three with two free throws before Tyus Jones missed a 3-pointer as time expired.
Walton had high praise for Fox after the game.
“I love it,” Walton said. “I saw him yesterday and he wasn’t moving so good, so my whole prep coming into tonight’s game was he’s not playing. He told me he wanted to play ... and for him to play through that, in a game that we need, it’s important for us right now. They’re all important, but it’s important to finish off a good road trip. He showed a lot of good leadership and then went out there and played a very high-level game.”
Hot shots
The Kings were 12th in the NBA in 3-point shooting at 36.4 percent going into Friday’s game, but they’ve been much better than that during their recent turnaround. Over the previous 13 games, the Kings were second in the league in 3-point shooting (.402) and third in 3-point goals per game (15.1).
“We’ve got a great shooting group in our locker room,” Walton said. “As the season has gone, we have gotten more comfortable with our system, our terminology, and we are looking to get guys playing together. We have been able to get more rhythm 3s and we have done a good job of knocking them down lately. Earlier in the season, we weren’t making those shots. It’s good to see as the season goes, we are finding a nice groove with that. It’s such a powerful weapon in today’s game.”
Slipping away
The Grizzlies came out of the All-Star break with a four-game lead over the Portland Trail Blazers for the eighth seed in the Western Conference, but they were reeling after losing five in a row.
The Grizzlies still have a two-game lead over the Pelicans and a 2 ½-game lead over the Blazers, but they have the most difficult remaining schedule in the NBA, according to Tankathon.com. They also have some key players sidelined due to injuries.
Jaren Jackson Jr. is out with a left knee injury. Rookie standout Brandon Clarke has a right quadriceps injury. Grayson Allen has a left hip injury and Justise Winslow, acquired from the Miami Heat in the Andre Iguodala trade, has been out with a back injury.
Standing O for Z-Bo
Former Grizzlies and Kings forward Zach Randolph enjoyed the game from a courtside seat. Randolph, who was sharply dressed in a blue suit, received a standing ovation when he was recognized before the start of the second quarter.
Randolph made a few friends in Sacramento in two seasons with the Kings, but he created a lasting legacy in Memphis during eight seasons with the Grizzlies. Randolph, a two-time All-Star, averaged 14.5 points and 6.7 rebounds for the Kings in 2017-18. He did not play for the Kings in 2018-19 but remained with the organization until he was sent to the Dallas Mavericks in the trade that brought Harrison Barnes to Sacramento.
Randolph announced his retirement in December 2019. Randolph averaged 16.6 points and 9.1 rebounds over 18 seasons in the NBA.
Injury report
Kings: OUT — Marvin Bagley III (foot); Richaun Holmes (shoulder).
Grizzlies: OUT — Jaren Jackson Jr. (knee); Brandon Clarke (quad); Grayson Allen (hip); Justise Winslow (back).
Kings upcoming schedule
March 1 vs. Detroit, 3 p.m.
March 3 vs. Washington, 7 p.m.
March 5 vs. Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
March 7 at Portland, 7 p.m.
March 8 vs. Toronto, 6 p.m.
This story was originally published February 28, 2020 at 7:32 PM.
