Fox, Kings play to their identity in promising win vs. Suns

Fox, Kings play to their identity in promising win vs. Suns originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SACRAMENTO – Through 11 games over 21 days of the 2024-25 NBA season, the Kings’ identity grew more and more difficult to decipher.

During their 12th one Wednesday night, a 127-104 win over the Phoenix Suns, they finally unlocked it — and Kings star point guard De’Aaron Fox had the key.

Fox shot a career-best 36.9 percent from 3-point range last season on a career-high 7.8 attempts per game. This season, he’s struggled mightily from beyond the arc, shooting just 28.2 percent on 6.5 attempts. He is playing through a finger injury on his left shooting hand, which likely is contributing to the down numbers.

But Wednesday night was like the Fox we knew four or five years ago, showcasing the part of his game that’s made him such a special player since entering the league as a 19-year-old rookie. He utilized his unmatched speed to get to the paint and create for himself and others.

He didn’t attempt a single 3-point shot until there was 1:33 remaining in the first half. He had 14 points on 6 of 9 shooting in 18 first-half minutes, with two rebounds four assists and two steals at the time. His next and final 3-point attempt came in the fourth quarter, which was nothing but net from 25 feet.

Fox finished with a game-high 29 points on 11-of-17 shooting from the field and 1 of 2 from downtown, with six rebounds and 10 assists. He also made six of his eight free-throw attempts and was a plus-19 in plus/minus rating in 32 minutes.

Vintage Fox.

“Just the emphasis on getting to the paint,” Fox said when asked about his shot selection Wednesday. “I think one [3-pointer] was off the dribble, one was a catch-and-shoot. But other than that, pretty much trying to touch the paint. And I think whenever we’re able to touch the paint and get open looks, I think we’re a better shooting team. So pretty much just put an emphasis on that.

“[Kings assistant coach] Luke [Loucks] talked to me about it, and I’m just trying to be able to execute that. Get teammates open looks, get to the free throw line, whatever it may be.”

In a league that…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/fox-kings-play-identity-promising-075516309.html

Author : NBC Sports BayArea

Publish date : 2024-11-14 07:55:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.