Mike Brown is running out of superlatives to describe the remarkable performances of De’Aaron Fox. The Sacramento Kings’ coach may need to consult a thesaurus given the kind of season his prolific guard is having.
Fox equaled his career-best scoring record with an astounding 44-point performance as the Kings extended their dominance over the Los Angeles Lakers with a resounding 130-120 triumph on Wednesday night. This marked Fox’s seventh game of the season with 40 or more points, placing him fourth in the NBA for such feats.
“He was phenomenal. I hesitate to use that term because that’s just who he is,” said Brown. “Scoring 44 points on a consistent basis is no easy feat, especially at the efficiency he displayed. But he has the ability to do it, and it was a significant game for him in a high-stakes environment.”
Malik Monk contributed 26 points, while Domantas Sabonis secured his 22nd triple-double of the season — his fourth in seven games — with 16 points, 20 rebounds, and 12 assists, propelling the Kings to their fourth consecutive victory over the Lakers since last season.
Sacramento, with a 35-26 record, maintained its seventh position in the Western Conference standings. They sit just half a game behind the Phoenix Suns for sixth place, a position that would exempt them from participation in the play-in tournament.
“Given the current standings, losing this game would have narrowed our lead to just half a game instead of the current 2 1/2,” Fox remarked. “So, especially against teams close to us in the standings, these games carry extra significance.”
LeBron James led the Lakers with 31 points and 13 assists but exited the game with 3:56 remaining due to a left ankle tweak. James, who has been on the injury report since the All-Star break, acknowledged the fluctuating nature of his ankle discomfort: “Some days it’s better, some days it’s worse. I didn’t feel it in the Oklahoma City game (on Monday) or until the fourth quarter tonight.”
Rui Hachimura contributed 29 points for the Lakers, while Anthony Davis notched 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Despite having the opportunity to gain ground in the conference standings, the Lakers remain in tenth place with a 34-30 record.
Sacramento showed resilience after falling behind by 19 points in the first quarter, dominating the second quarter with a 44-20 scoring spree to establish a commanding 72-57 lead at halftime.
The Kings’ offensive outburst was complemented by their defensive intensity, as Fox noted: “Our defensive effort was key in the second quarter. We were getting turnovers and capitalizing in transition.”
The Kings outscored the Lakers 32-9 to close out the first half, fueled by a 10-0 run early in the second quarter. Their offensive onslaught continued with stellar shooting, including 13 of 14 from the field in the final 7:32 of the second quarter, featuring six 3-pointers.
Despite a late surge by the Lakers, the Kings maintained control throughout the game, ensuring the Lakers were never able to reduce the deficit to single digits.
