De'Aaron Fox made his NBA playoffs debut with the Sacramento Kings on Saturday, but it certainly didn't look like it's his first time at the highest level of basketball.
Against a battle-tested Golden State Warriors team, Fox looked like a well-seasoned veteran who knows exactly what he needed to do. As the Kings trade punches with the Dubs, it was Fox who delivered the haymakers to keep Sacramento in the fight and propel them to the 126-123 win.
In the end, Fox finished with 38 points on 13-of-27 shooting. He made four of his eight attempts from deep and tallied five assists and three steals. With that, he recorded the second-most points in a playoff debut of all time. Only Luka Doncic, who dropped 42 points in his first postseason game in 2020, had more.
In his walkoff interview after their victory, Fox opened up about his incredible start. He admitted that he had to adjust t the physicality of the playoffs at the start, but he was eventually able to get into rhythm in the second quarter and he just got going from there, per Malika Andrews of ESPN.
To be fair, Fox only had nine points in the opening half before exploding for 29 in the third and fourth quarters.
Postgame with De’Aaron Fox, whose 38 points in a playoff debut are tied for the second most all time (behind only Luka Doncic) pic.twitter.com/cpNZUI4rQr
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) April 16, 2023
It's undoubtedly a game to remember for De'Aaron Fox. Even better, the Kings got the win and the 1-0 lead.
Sacramento is considered the underdog in the series despite being the no. 3 seed, but on Saturday night, Fox and co. showed that even the littlest of dogs can bite and hurt anyone when cornered.
Follow Us
Subscribe