De'Aaron Fox is, in fact, nice.
After registering a franchise-record 60 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night, the Kings star guard went for the record books again, scoring 49 points in Sacramento’s nail-biting 121-117 win over the Utah Jazz on Saturday night, raising his two-game scoring count to 109 points – a new franchise record.
Despite the Kings missing the likes of DeMar DeRozan, Domantas Sabonis and Malik Monk due to injuries, the 26-year-old All-Star capped a generational 24 hours at Golden 1 Center, convincing coach Mike Brown – no stranger to NBA superstars – that he is ramping up to the peak moment of his career.
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“Yeah, he’s hitting his prime,” Brown told reporters after the game. “He understands what winning is about and he understands what we need from him.
“It’s not every other night or every so often, even at times when he misses, he needs to get to this spot. He doesn’t need to score 40 every time, though. He has to get to his spot. He has to make the game easier on everyone else while defending, and we will try to hide him every once in a while or give him a break.
“But that’s what he gets paid for. That’s what he’s going to get paid for. That’s his responsibility, and I think all of us would want to be in his position, making that type of money and taking that type of responsibility every night.”
Fox’s 109 points were the most points scored across a two-game span in Kings franchise history and the second-most points scored on consecutive days by any NBA player in the last 50 years. Fox felt short of Kobe Bryant, who scored more on back-to-back nights in the last half century with 110 in 2007.
NBA
109 PTS 🤯
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) November 17, 2024
De'Aaron Fox has scored the most points in a two-game span in franchise history pic.twitter.com/yAhsn9aiY9
Unlike on Friday, Sacramento managed to honor Fox’s historic performance with a victory. The Kings were able to do so after winning a pair of challenges in the final minute that helped seal it, including one that sent Fox to the foul line.
Over the course of the back-to-back games, Fox managed to boost his points per game average by 4.3 points, a clear indicator that the star guard is approaching a different phase of his career.
“I think a big thing about it is just being consistent,” Fox responded when asked about Brown’s “prime” comments. “Like, obviously, we know we’re not always going to play well in every single game, but how consistent can you be?
“I don’t know how you work on consistency. Obviously, you want to come to work everyday and be able to bring it. But that’s where I am, that's where I wanted to be able to find that balance, being able to score and when I touch the paint, being able to kick.
“That’s pretty much it. I felt like I’ve always had that ability and continue to get better as a shooter.”
On a night in which Sabonis was a late scratch due to lower back tightness, Fox delivered – and he wasn’t asked to do so by Brown.
If anything, again, it’s telling of the maturity and elite skill that epitomize Fox’s game.
"I've been in this game since 92,” Brown mentioned. “There's not a single person in this league who can stop him from getting to his spots when he wants to. And I think he's feeling that.
“Not only is he feeling that, he's showing it. When you have guys of his caliber – and I’ve been around the Stephs, the KDs, and the Kobes, and the LeBrons and the Tim Duncans; I’ve been around those types of special players – when you have those guys, they get to their spots when they want to.
“The biggest difference between those guys and some of the other pretty good players is that they do it consistently. I didn’t have to say anything to Fox tonight because he knew, especially with all the guys you had out, that he had to get to the spots.
“He had to carry us when he couldn’t get a bucket. He had to make the game easier for others, and that’s what he did. The franchise record that he got at 109 points in two games, it's been unbelievable."
It was unbelievable. Fox’s prime era is here – and it’s nice.
