” Once I saw that confidence (his home), I said to myself ‘It’s over, we won’. Domantas Sabonis was right about the fate of this trip to Utah, decided by De’Aaron Fox. The leader of the Kings took control of operations with an exceptional fourth quarter for him: 22 of his 37 points scored (15/22 on shots including 1/5 from afar).
It all started at the start of this period with a 3-point basket, in “catch-and-shoot”, to put the two teams equal. After this first basket, it was the Fox – Sabonis association that set to work. The interior multiplied the decisive passes or “screen assists” in this two-man game at the head of the racket which did a lot of harm to the defense of the Jazz.
” My main role was to make sure he stood out “Recalls the Lithuanian whose complicity with the leader, on and off the pitch, is no longer in doubt. With him, Fox has seriously heated up. ” I was in the ‘zone’. A lot of it was picking where I wanted to go and then going there and sending the shots that I work on on a daily basis. “, Describes the left-hander, who chained the shots around the line of the throws.
Despite its festival, the opposing defense lacked seriousness. Like his big one-handed dunk, one minute from the end, without any challenge… Kelly Olynyk had however literally pushed Jarred Vanderbilt to take over the leader, on whom he was defending. But the former Wolves player was visibly disturbed by a move by Jordan Clarkson, who came into contact with Fox but without “switching”. Total chaos.
Change systems
” He’s so quick, you saw him on that layup win continues Sabonis in reference to the latest action. Seeing a two-man take on him, the point guard attacked Lauri Markkanen with his left hand to finish in the circle with his weak hand, 0.4 seconds left. The Finn thought he had time to answer him, with a desperate shot finally invalidated.
” If there was a duel that I felt we could exploit, it had to be the player. That’s what happens in the fourth quarter in a lot of NBA games. It’s really basic “Summarizes Fox on his choices to regularly change the systems requested in the last minutes.
“ It was one of the first games where he challenged me several times, especially at the end. He has the green light to override (my choices). Great players don’t get tired. They make their teammates good, and that’s what he did tonight. He won the game for us. That’s what great players do on the road », greets a very enthusiastic Mike Brown.
A memorable match?
He is delighted that his player has shone again, equaling his record for the season and signing his record in a quarter: “ What a game from Foxy. He was good, I don’t want to compliment him too much. The reason is that’s what this boy is capable of. He played a great game for us but I’m telling you: it’s De’Aaron Fox. And it’s great that the league, not just the NBA people but the media, the fans, are starting to recognize his greatness. And that’s just a preview. »
The talent of the left-hander has already been known for years. The main difference this season is that his team wins. With the success of this night, Sacramento occupies a very beautiful, and just as surprising, 5th place in the West with 20 wins for 16 losses.
Enough to allow Fox, whose stats have not exploded compared to last year (career record in general address and rebounds all the same), to imagine returning to Utah next month? To celebrate a first selection at the All-Star game? ” I think it has a lot to do with coaching. I want to do everything possible to put my team in the best position to win. If that’s what we do and I make an All-Star team, so be it. If not, that’s how it is. But I want to win. »
| De’Aaron Fox | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2017-18 | BAG | 73 | 28 | 41.2 | 30.7 | 72.3 | 0.5 | 2.3 | 2.8 | 4.4 | 2.2 | 1.0 | 2.4 | 0.3 | 11.6 |
| 2018-19 | BAG | 81 | 31 | 45.8 | 37.1 | 72.7 | 0.5 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 7.3 | 2.5 | 1.6 | 2.8 | 0.6 | 17.3 |
| 2019-20 | BAG | 51 | 32 | 48.0 | 29.2 | 70.5 | 0.7 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 6.8 | 2.8 | 1.5 | 3.1 | 0.5 | 21.1 |
| 2020-21 | BAG | 58 | 35 | 47.7 | 32.2 | 71.9 | 0.6 | 2.9 | 3.5 | 7.2 | 2.9 | 1.5 | 3.0 | 0.5 | 25.2 |
| 2021-22 | BAG | 59 | 35 | 47.3 | 29.7 | 75.0 | 0.4 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 5.6 | 2.9 | 1.2 | 2.9 | 0.4 | 23.2 |
| 2022-23 | BAG | 32 | 33 | 49.9 | 34.4 | 79.1 | 0.4 | 4.3 | 4.7 | 5.9 | 2.6 | 0.9 | 2.7 | 0.4 | 23.4 |
| Total | 354 | 32 | 46.5 | 32.3 | 73.1 | 0.5 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 6.2 | 2.7 | 1.3 | 2.8 | 0.4 | 19.5 | |
