De’Aaron Fox returned to the lineup and had 28 points and six assists in the Sacramento Kings 132-120 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

But the way Fox sees it, Keegan Murray's defense on Donovan Mitchell was the real story, according to James Ham of the The Kings Beat. When asked about Murray's defense on Mitchell, Fox said, “I think he can be an outstanding defender. He's 6-foot-8. He's long.”

Kings head coach Mike Brown shared a similar sentiment, according to Brenden Nunes of The Kings Beat:

“I think he was great… I think he's moving so much better than he did when he first got into the league. I think he can be an outstanding defender.”

Murray did his best to lock down Mitchell, holding the star guard to 22 points on a paltry 7-21 from the floor. Murray also shined on offense, going 9-13 and scoring 25 points.

After a surprise showing last season, the Kings have tread water a little bit to start the season – moving to 5-4 with the win.

With players such as Fox, Murray, and Domantas Sabonis, the Kings were expected to get off to a better start than they have. A big part of their struggles, aside from Fox's ankle, is Murray's play. After a red-hot start to the 2023-24 season, has come crashing back down to earth. Having all the opportunity to make a sophomore leap amid the injury to Fox, the Kings' starting power forward has struggled, failing to make the most of his increased offensive role. Kings fans were surely glad to see him break out offensively as well on Monday night.

But if Murray starts consistently playing defense the way he did against Mitchell, the team will be a lot more equipped to handle any future shooting slumps.

The Kings next take on the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday.