De’Aaron Fox drops more than 100 points in 2 days, leading short-handed Kings past Jazz
De’Aaron Fox wouldn’t let the Sacramento Kings lose a second straight game and three of their last four.
The star point guard put together a second virtuoso scoring performance in 24 hours, finishing with 49 while the Kings staved off the Utah Jazz, 121-117, and came back from a double-digit deficit in the second half Saturday night at Golden 1 Center.
It came after Fox scored a franchise-record 60 in the overtime loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday.
“There’s not a single person in this league that can stop him from getting to the spots where he wants to (get to),” Kings coach Mike Brown said. “I think he’s feeling that. And not only is he feeling that, but he’s showing that.”
Fox became just the third player in NBA history to score at least 109 points over two consecutive games, according to ESPN Stats and Info. The others: Kobe Bryant, in 2007; and Wilt Chamberlain, who did it 15 times.
“I’ve been around the Steph (Currys), I’ve been around the KDs (Kevin Durants) and the Kobes and the LeBrons and the Tim Duncans,” Brown continued. “When you have those guys, they get to their spots when they want to. And the biggest difference between those guys and the other pretty good players are they do it consistently.”
Brown mentioned Fox, who turns 27 next month, is entering his true prime. And Fox agreed about the idea of consistency, which remains a primary focus.
“Obviously we always know you’re not going to play well every single game,” Fox said. “But how consistent can you be? I don’t know how you work on consistency — obviously you want to come in to work every day and be able to bring it, but that’s where I am. There’s where I want to be able to find that balance, and be able to score, and when I touch the paint, be able to kick.”
Fox finished also finished with a game-high nine assists, many coming on 3-pointers after getting into the lane. Fox made 16 of his 30 shots and only took four 3-pointers, making three.
The Kings (8-6) overcame playing on a back-to-back and using 11 players, many of whom have been out of the rotation and were getting their first extended run due to absences from Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan and Malik Monk.
The game came down to the final seconds.
Backup guard Jordan McLaughlin hit one of the biggest shots of the night, giving the Kings a 2-point lead at 1:04 remaining with a 3 from the right corner. Sacramento made more 3s than their opponent for just the fourth time in their 14 games this season. They shot 19-41 on the night while the Jazz finished 12-26.
Kevin Huerter added 18 points, and Trey Lyles, who started at center, had 17 while going 5-of-7 from distance.
Huerter is in his third season with Fox and has noticed the improvement from his point guard.
“I think when De’Aaron truly imposes his will, I think he’s borderline unstoppable, and it just comes down to makes and misses,” Huerter said. “It feels like any time he wants to, he can get to his sports and get in the paint and just cause havoc. And you’ve seen that the last two nights.”
Reserves Isaac Jones, Orlando Robinson and Mason Jones all saw extended minutes against the Jazz, now 3-9, who came into the night with the worst record in the NBA Western Conference and appear primed for a chance to draft top prospect Cooper Flagg next June.
The Kings won a pair of challenges in the final minute that helped seal it, including one that sent Fox to the foul line where he made one of two. The ball went out of bounds and was originally ruled Jazz ball before it was reversed and given to Sacramento after a Mike Brown challenged.
The Jazz had a chance to tie the game with 20 seconds remaining, down 119-116, after Fox missed a mid-range 3. Instead of trying for a 3, forward John Collins drove and missed a layup. Fox was fouled with 13 seconds remaining and missed both free throws to keep the Jazz alive with 7 seconds left.
Utah struggled to get the ball in before Fox fouled Jordan Clarkson with 3.2 remaining. Clarkson made the first and tried to miss the second on purpose to give the Jazz a chance at the rebound, but the ball clanked off the backboard and didn’t hit the rim for a free throw violation.
Up 119-117, Fox was fouled by Collin Sexton with 1.8 seconds remaining and went back to the free throw line for a chance at redemption after missing three of his previous four. Fox hit both, clinching the win and prompting a relieved crowd to roar “Light the Beam” chants throughout the arena.
Fox scored 18 points in the first quarter while making all seven of his shots. He finished with 26 in the first half, giving him three consecutive 20-point halves and 86 points over six quarters, plus overtime, going back to Friday’s loss to Minnesota.
Sacramento took a 1-point lead into halftime and trailed by as many as 11 midway through the third quarter. They responded with a 12-5 spurt over the final 3:31 of the frame to make it 94-90 heading into the fourth.
Fox had 35 over his first 25 minutes and scored 14 in the fourth quarter to give him 109 in two games, surpassing DeMarcus Cousins’ franchise record of 104 points set in January 2016.
Lauri Markkanen led the Jazz with 25 points. Keyonte George had 19, and Sexton added 18.
Kings shaking up rotations amid injuries
The Kings hours before the game ruled out center Sabonis because of lower back tightness. Sabonis played 39 minutes in Friday’s overtime loss to Minnesota, scoring 23 points on 10-of-15 shooting, with 12 rebounds and four assists.
Saturday marked Sabonis’ first missed game since April 7, 2023, against the Golden State Warriors ending his streak of 96 consecutive regular season games. The team did not have an update regarding the severity of his injury or if he would miss time beyond Saturday.
The Kings next host the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, then don’t play until four days later when the face the Los Angeles Clippers on the road.
The Kings were without DeRozan (back tightness) and Monk (ankle), who missed their second and fourth straight games, respectively. The absences meant Sacramento was without its second-, third- and fifth-leading scorers.
Jazz coach Will Hardy expected the Kings’ fill-ins to be aggressive in place of the missing trio.
“You’re going to have guys that are going to get a night where they have more responsibility, they’re going to have higher usage rates to touch the ball more,” Hardy said.
“(In) my experience in terms of having people on our team out is that you generally have a lot of guys who are feeling like, OK, this is my chance to prove something. I’ve been wanting more opportunity, more minutes, more touches, and tonight’s that night.”
Brown went with a new starting lineup for the Kings after going big and giving center Alex Len the start next to Sabonis on Friday against Minnesota. Len only had two stints to start each half against the Timberwolves, and the Kings were outscored by 6 during six minutes in the first quarter and 8 during three minutes to open the third.
The Kings on Saturday started Lyles at center along with Fox, Huerter, Doug McDermott and Keegan Murray.
A new face for the Kings
Reserve big man Orlando Robinson made his Kings debut when he subbed in midway through the first quarter. Robinson had been working out with the team on the road after spraining his left MCL during training camp in early October. Robinson played 29 minutes Friday night for the G League Kings in Stockton, scoring 26 points with five rebounds and four assists.
Robinson, 24, spent the last two seasons with the Miami Heat where he appeared in 67 games and made eight starts. Robinson was the first big man off the bench Saturday instead of Len, and he scored five points in his first three minutes and made a 3.
Brown made another notable rotation choice early in the game with Mason Jones over Keon Ellis, who played 23 minutes Friday. It was Jones’ third game of the season. Isaac Jones, a two-way player who logged 10 minutes in five games coming in, made appearances in the second and fourth quarters.
This story was originally published November 16, 2024 at 10:12 PM.
