The Kings are on a strong run after securing their seventh straight win on Sunday against the Chicago Bulls. This victory improved their record to 7-1 under interim coach Doug Christie and pushed them above .500 for the first time since November 21.
returned to the starting lineup for Sacramento at the United Center after missing three games due to injury. Fox shared how Christie’s approach has energized the team following their 124-119 win.
“He’s bringing a type of energy that’s a little bit contagious,” Fox said when asked about what has changed for the Kings under Christie. “I mean, like I said before, he’s the same guy that he was, but whenever you’re at the front of the helm, I feel like you’re probably feeling it a little more.”
“But we’ve got a good thing going right now, so you want to continue to play at a high level. And playing this team, obviously Zach [LaVine] been doing what he’s been doing, but I mean, they’ve been playing at a high level as well. So to be able to come in here and get a win is always good.”
Since Christie took over after Mike Brown’s firing, he has helped the Kings bounce back from a six-game losing streak. Their first win under Christie came against the Dallas Mavericks on December 30, and now, during this seven-game streak, Sacramento is averaging an NBA-best 50.3 rebounds, along with 121.6 points per game (second) and 9.4 steals per game (third) (h/t NBA TV).
Fox and teammate DeMar DeRozan both explained how Christie’s simplified offense has helped the Kings get into a rhythm on the court, as Sacramento recorded 33 assists and just seven turnovers against the Bulls.
“Obviously you’re just trying to get high drags, point actions — it’s stuff that everybody in the league basically runs, but you have to be able to do it with pace, and you have to be able to attack every single time that you’re going down the court,” Fox said.
“So those are just the little nuances of [Christie’s offense]. If you watch Memphis play, that’s pretty much all they do. They’re not running a ton of plays. They have a bunch of guys that can shoot the ball and get downhill, and that’s what they do at a high level. So that’s kind of something that we’re doing right now, and I think we’re doing it at a high level.”
“Doug just tells us, ‘Go out there and just bring your game’ when we play,” DeRozan said after the game. “That’s all. That’s what he says, ‘Just bring your game. I can’t teach y’all how to play. Y’all know how to play,’ you know? And him putting that trust in us and having a selfless group like we have, that’s the outcome that you get.”
The Kings’ trust in playing to their strengths has worked throughout the seven-game streak and helped them deliver a clutch performance on Sunday. Fox and DeRozan combined for 18 points in the fourth quarter, and despite the lead changing 28 times, Sacramento held a 114-113 lead with 5:42 left and never gave it up.
The entire team contributed, with Fox leading the way with 26 points and DeRozan adding 21 against his former team. Domantas Sabonis finished with a 22-point, 15-rebound double-double, Malik Monk had 18 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds, and Keegan Murray chipped in 14 points, including three 3-pointers.
“Just allowing them to play to their strengths,” Christie said after the win. “I think sometimes we get into actions that aren’t really actions. Just get to the business; there’s no need to do a lot of other stuff on top of the fact that we want to drive, kick, swing and move the basketball. So it gives us more time to do that, allowing them to just kind of use their special talents.”
“I mean, Fox is fast. He can handle the basketball and get to the rack. Malik is the same way. DeMar is one of the best iso players in the game, so you put him in position. Domas’ rolling ability. When you go down the list — Keegan’s shooting.
We got some defenders on the wings. All those different things, trying to just — don’t make it hard. Just go get at it, and we live with the results. And on the other end of the floor, let’s lock arms and play really hard on that end.”
After Christie moved from assistant coach to interim coach, DeRozan recently shared a highlight reel of Christie’s NBA playing days with the team. He did this to show the Kings that Christie had once done the very things he now asks of them, and DeRozan believes it has had a positive effect.
For Christie, DeRozan’s gesture shows the strong bond within the team.
“I would tell you it’s priceless, man,” Christie said about DeRozan showing the video. “I mean, that’s the type of trust, love, and respect I want out of all of them, but having that time with DeMar in the summer, watching how he gets down, and then really just always being a hundred with him and trusting him to do his thing.
For him to show that in that moment, it says a lot about who he is, but it says a lot about our team and what we’re trying to [do].”
“It’s together. I’m not separate as a coach. They’re not separate as players. They have their room. I have my room, but at the same time, we are together as one. It’s not a hand, it’s a fist.”
