Fox continues to amaze with 49-point effort in Kings win

Nov 16, 2024, 10:04 PM | Updated: 10:43 pm

SACRAMENTO, CA - NOVEMBER 16: De'Aaron Fox #5 of the Sacramento Kings looks on during the game agai...

(Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)

Lead Editor & Kings Beat Writer

The legend of De’Aaron Fox continues to grow.

After scoring a Sacramento Kings franchise-record 60 points during Friday’s loss to Minnesota, Fox picked up right where he left off during Saturday night’s back-to-back finale against the Utah Jazz.

Fox set a new franchise record by scoring 49 points, passing DeMarcus Cousins for the most points scored over a two-game span in Kings history, and Sacramento did just enough to secure a 121-117 win at Golden 1 Center.

It’s been a rollercoaster of a 24-hour period for the Kings, who dropped an overtime thriller to the Timberwolves despite 60 points from Fox—but this time, they would not be denied.

Sacramento (8-6) took over in crunch time behind 14 fourth-quarter points from Fox, who continues to cement his legacy as one of the greatest players in franchise history at just 26 years old.

44 AND THE LEAD 🦊 https://t.co/yvhBnQjmG0 pic.twitter.com/I8qpGOmlIH

— NBA (@NBA) November 17, 2024

Kings vs. Jazz recap & takeaways

On a night that Domantas Sabonis (back tightness), DeMar DeRozan (back tightness), and Malik Monk (ankle sprain) were all out of action, it was unfair to put all of Sacramento’s offensive stock into De’Aaron Fox on the second night of a back-to-back.

Fox, who established a new Kings franchise record with a 60-point performance not even 24 hours before tip-off on Saturday, logged 45 minutes of playing time during an overtime loss against Minnesota, meaning there was a good chance that the star guard would be a step slower in this one.

Yeah. About that.

It didn’t take long for Fox to assert himself against Utah as the speedy guard poured in 18 points on seven-of-seven shooting from the field (three-of-three from deep) during his first nine minutes of action.

“M-V-P” chants sounded out at Golden 1 Center as Fox crossed the 20-point mark early in the second quarter, and the Kings’ offense harnessed the strong play of its franchise guard into an efficient start–even from the three-point line.

Although Sacramento entered play with the NBA’s 29th-ranked three-point field goal percentage (31%), you wouldn’t know it from watching the first half. The Kings knocked down ten of their first 22 attempts (45%) from deep en route to taking an early 12-point lead, but the Jazz hit back right before the break to trim the deficit to one.

Fox scored 26 points on nine-of-14 shooting over 17 minutes during the first half, but the All-NBA talent would need some help from his teammates in the second half.

no shoe, no problem for 🦊 😅 pic.twitter.com/9DJhvLouxG

— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) November 17, 2024

As strong as the first 24 minutes of action were, all of Sacramento’s momentum was erased within the opening minutes of the second half.

Utah opened up the third quarter on a 26-12 run to put the Kings in an 11-point hole, one that Fox would help trim to four points before play entered the fourth.

Twenty-four hours prior, Sacramento relied on Fox to bring them back from a double-digit crunch-time deficit. Saturday night was more of the same, but unlike Friday, Fox got some help from his supporting cast.

Trey Lyles stepped up in a big way–an important development in light of Keegan Murray’s offensive struggles–scoring a season-high 17 points on five-of-of-seven from three-point range, while Kevin Huerter also found the bottom of the net (18 points) to aid Fox’s efforts.

But with the game on the line late, it was Fox’s time to shine.

Fox scored 14 of his 49 points in the fourth quarter, including seven over the final three minutes of action to help the Kings overcome a late-game deficit to a red-hot Jazz offense.

Along with Lyles and Huerter, Sacramento also benefited from reserve guard Jordan McLaughlin’s minutes on Saturday. The veteran guard’s clutch triple with 1:04 to go flipped a one-point Utah lead into a two-point advantage for the Kings, one that they would not let slip away during the game’s final seconds.

JORDAN MCLAUGHLIN FOR THE LEAD 👌

pic.twitter.com/4VeOMdDHBf

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) November 17, 2024

Sacramento held on, and Fox was once again the hero–but this time, in winning fashion.

“Nobody can stop him from getting to his spots when he wants to,” Kings head coach Mike Brown said of his franchise guard’s exceptional back-to-back performance. “I’ve been in this game since ’92. 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.”

Fox continued to attack the opposition in various ways, going 11-of-19 (57%) in the paint, three-of-four from deep, and 14-of-19 from the free-throw line.

The star guard had multiple chances to eclipse the 50-point mark from the free-throw line during the final minutes of the fourth but missed three free throws. Fox took to social media after the game, posting “My bad” on Twitter/X as an apology for missing the 50-point mark in consecutive games.

Fox joked that teammates DeMar DeRozan and Trey Lyles gave him a hard time for the missed free throws, but in the end, it didn’t matter. The star guard continued his march towards becoming an All-Star for the first time since 2022-23, and did so in dominant fashion.

“When (De’Aaron Fox) decides to do that, he can do that every night,” Lyles said of his teammate.

With Sabonis, DeRozan, and Monk all healthy, Sacramento likely doesn’t need 50-plus points out of Fox on a nightly basis, but he’s proving he has it in the tank if the Kings need it.

That’s what makes Fox special. That’s what makes him a star.

DE’AARON FOX IS HAVING HIMSELF AN UNREAL WEEKEND 🔥

His 109 points is the most over a 2-day span since Kobe Bryant in 2007. pic.twitter.com/5ZKzdJafnK

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) November 17, 2024

Notes

Sacramento set a season-high in made three-point field goals during the win (19/41, 46%)

Injury Updates

Malik Monk continues to rehab a moderate right ankle sprain. The Sixth Man of the Year runner-up from last season will be re-evaluated sometime next week.
Domantas Sabonis (lower back tightness) missed his first game since the end of the 2022-23 season, snapping a 96-regular-season-game streak. Sabonis is considered day-to-day.
DeMar DeRozan (lower back tightness) missed his second straight game. DeRozan is considered day-to-day.

When is the next Sacramento Kings game?

Sacramento will conclude a four-game homestand on Monday night when they face the Atlanta Hawks at Golden 1 Center.

On November 1st, the Kings defeated Atlanta by a final of 123-115 at State Farm Arena behind 31 points from De’Aaron Fox and 27 points from DeMar DeRozan.

Be sure to catch all of the Kings vs. Hawks action right here on Sactown Sports 1140 AM, with pregame coverage starting at 2:00 PM PT on The Drive Guys before action tips off at 7:00 PM PT from downtown Sacramento.