De’Aaron Fox needed time to adjust to the bright lights of the NBA playoffs.
And for the guy whose game is predicated by lightning-quick movements and precise shotmaking, all he needed was 24 minutes to reassert himself in his postseason debut.
“For me, I wanted to see how different the game is. I wanna see how physical the game really is, how much can you, essentially, get away with,” Fox said postgame after the Sacramento Kings secured Game 1 over the Golden State Warriors, 126-123. “I think [in] the first half, I wouldn’t say [I was] shocked but it took me time to get adjusted to it and I think he (Malik Monk) did a hell of a job carrying us through that first half.”
Right from the opening tip, the matchup between the Kings and Warriors lived up to the hype. The game was fast-paced and shots were falling. The defending champions were in hostile territory but they seemed to revel in the pressure as they took a 61-55 lead at the half. Fox had nine points on 3-for-9 shooting but it was the brilliance of Monk who came off the bench to drill 15 points.
When the game tightened in the last two quarters, the Kings needed their leader to rise to the occasion.
“And in the fourth quarter at the end of the game… we talked about this countless times, my teammates are confident in me to go out there and make plays for myself and for others,” Fox said. “So the least I could do is go out there and believe in myself.”
Fox, who has been his team’s unequivocal hero in crunch time this season, delivered. He scored 29 points in the second half and finished with 38 points overall. It was the second-most points scored for a playoff debut behind Luka Doncic’s 42 points.
Backed by his team and the mammoth home crowd, Fox was in his element when the game was on the line. He played the entire fourth quarter to score 15 points, including three shots from deep. His offensive repertoire was on full display for the whole basketball world to see. From fallaways, stepbacks, floaters, and unconventional layups, he made it look easy. He even traded big buckets with Steph Curry down the stretch.
“Fox be doing this the whole year for us,” Malik Monk said. “ I knew he was gonna turn it on in the second half. Just took him a little time to get adjusted [but] that’s why we’re a team, we got other players out there to do what they do.
“He’s been great for us all year. He’ll continue to be great for us.”
It was only Game 1 and a lot can still happen throughout the series. The Warriors are still heavily favored with their Hall of Fame roster and championship experience. But the Kings can fall back on their franchise guard who’s proven that he does not shy away from big moments, including the playoffs.
“We’ll enjoy this win right now. It’s a long series. You never know how many games it could go,” Fox said. “But for us, we’ll enjoy this tonight and we’ll come back tomorrow and hit the ground running.”
Game 2 between the Warriors and Kings is on Tuesday at 10:00 AM (PHL time).
