Getting better: Bagley, Fox have big nights in Kings’ win over the lowly Rockets
The Kings on Friday won consecutive games for just the sixth time all season, downing the Houston Rockets, the Western Conference’s worst team, 126-114, at Golden 1 Center.
The victory came with a second-straight strong performance from embattled Sacramento forward Marvin Bagley, who had season highs in points (26) and rebounds (13) while adding two blocks. It came after setting his previous scoring high this season Wednesday in the victory over the Lakers that ended a five-game losing streak.
With the win, Sacramento jumped the Portland Trailblazers for the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference, the last spot in the play-in tournament.
It was mostly smooth sailing for the Kings, but they had to overcome a first quarter in which they allowed the Rockets to score 40 points on 61% shooting.
“Obviously not the way we should have started the game,” interim coach Alvin Gentry said afterwards. “But then I thought we locked in. We gave up 20 the next quarter and then we held them under 30 in all the other quarters.”
Bagley came into the game scoring a career-low 8.4 points per outing. His 26 Friday were the most since he notched 31 last May in Indiana. He hadn’t reached 13 rebounds since his rookie campaign in 2018-19, when he reached that mark five times.
The No. 2 pick in the 2018 draft had been dealing with a recent thumb injury on his right non-shooting hand, but he didn’t appear hindered by it Friday.
“I thought he did a good job of finding open spots,” Gentry said of Bagley. “He found those open holes in the defense and was able to just finish at the basket. I thought he shot some very nice shots and had some really nice touch on the ball.”
Bagley, of course, began the season out of the Kings rotation while his career in Sacramento has been dramatic due to strife with the organization, injuries, coaching changes and trade rumors. But Friday was his 11th straight start — and it appears he’s finally get into a rhythm.
“I’m just playing basketball, man. I’m just having fun,” Bagley said. “Smiling, being at peace with myself, just knowing that it’s the game of basketball. It’s the game I’ve been playing since I was 5 years old. To be able to put on a uniform, show up to work every day and play basketball, it’s a blessing. So just being able to think about it like that, see it from that perspective and just be thankful to put on an NBA uniform, I can’t ask for anything else.”
Point guard De’Aaron Fox added 27 points, 8 assists and 6 boards. He made seven of his first 10 shots before finishing 11-of-18. His 61% field goal percentage on the night was his third-highest of the season among games he made 11 baskets.
Fox’s shooting, statistically, has been his worst since his rookie season. His 24.3% clip from 3-point range is the lowest of his career, but he went 3-of-6 from distance Friday. Fox is the Kings’ leading scorer and the offense hasn’t a different look when he can score efficiently.
“When he’s scoring like that,” Gentry said, “it gives us an opportunity to set our defense. They’re not running out off misses. ... When he’s that efficient and doing what he did tonight, taking the ball to the paint, then it helps us in all areas, really.”
Said Fox: “I get to my spots all the time. Sometimes the ball doesn’t go in. But tonight I was able to get a lot more layups, the 3 went in. I wish I didn’t shoot as bad as I did from the free-throw line tonight (3-of-6), but those things happen.”
Rockets big man Christian Wood, who scored 15 points in the first quarter during Houston’s hot start, picked up his third foul with 4:14 in the frame and didn’t play until the second half. The Kings were outscored by nine before Wood hit the bench, and outscored the Rockets by 21 points thereafter. Houston had five starters in double figures, led by Wood’s 26. Wood and veteran Eric Gordon combined to shoot 8-of-14 from distance, but the rest of the Rockets went 5 of 29.
Sacramento will look to win a third straight game when the Kings play the Rockets again Sunday. They’ve won three consecutive games just once all year. That stretch came in December, with two wins over the Clippers and then Orlando.
Sunday’s game tips at 3 p.m. The crowd at Golden 1 Center could be in a good mood depending what happens in the 49ers’ playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys. The second-half of the football game should coincide with the first half of the Kings game. The Kings’ in-arena staff used a Cowboys helmet and fan in a Rodger Staubach jersey to draw loud boos from the crowd Friday night while the Rockets were shooting free throws in the second half.
Green returns to Central Valley
Rockets guard Jalen Green, the No. 2 pick in the recent NBA draft, played in Sacramento for the first time in his NBA career on Friday. The talented rookie is a Fresno native who played during his high school years at Prolific Prep in Napa before deciding to skip college and turn pro.
Green spent the 2020 season playing for the G League Ignite before Houston made him the second player taken behind Cade Cunningham, who went first overall to the Detroit Pistons.
Green had a rough night in the loss, finishing with 11 points on 5-of-18 shooting. He came in averaging 15.2 points per game.
Earlier in the season the 19-year-old became the sixth teenager in NBA history to record 425 points, 90 rebounds and 59 assists through his first 28 games, joining Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic.
“I think he’s a typical young player,” Gentry said before the game. “Sometimes out of control, has about three SportsCenter highlights in every game that he plays in. He loves to get out and run. He’s such a great athlete. They can throw lobs to him, he can take the ball, put it on the floor and get to the basket. So you have to try to do everything you can to keep in front of you, and he’s such an explosive athlete — he’s got a real bright (future).”
Big men still missing
Center Richaun Holmes remained out of Friday’s game despite being upgraded to “questionable” beforehand while clearing health and safety protocols.
Gentry said Holmes was held out while he ramps up his conditioning. The 6-foot-10 center has missed 13 of the last 18 games due to COVID protocols and an eye injury in early December.
“It’s going to be a day to day thing with him,” Gentry said pregame. “He’s going to ramp it back up. ... So he’s basically not done a lot whole lot in the last month. So it’s going to take a little while. But he’s making progress.”
The Kings were also without big men Tristan Thompson (non-COVID illness) and Damian Jones (health and safety protocols).
This story was originally published January 15, 2022 at 7:16 AM.
