No player in the NBA ever likes to discuss what went wrong following a blowout loss. Sacramento Kings star guard De'Aaron Fox is no exception to this. With the opportunity to pull ahead in the Western Conference standings, the Kings ended up being blown out 132-96 by the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night in Sacramento.
This 36-point loss the Kings suffered on Tuesday tied their largest margin of defeat this season, and it subsequently pushed them a game below the Mavs for the 6-seed in the West. With just 10 games remaining on their schedule, the Kings are now in a position where they desperately need to get back on track in order to try and avoid having to earn a playoff spot via the Western Conference Play-In Tournament.
Everything that could have gone wrong for the Kings on Tuesday night went wrong. They did not defend well enough to put themselves in a position to win, and Sacramento really struggled to score in the second half, scoring just 43 points on 34 total shot attempts. Fox, who was obviously upset with the loss, appeared to take exception to the way this loss was being presented to him in his postgame press conference.
De'Aaron Fox speaks the truth after blowout loss
Fox, who scored just 18 points on 6-of-18 shooting against the Mavs in Tuesday night's blowout loss, was not thrilled with the way things went against Dallas. When asked after the game about his leadership and addressing the media to send a message after some of the team's biggest losses this season, Fox made it clear that he was only addressing reporters because he had to.
"As far as talking to y'all? I don't get sh*t out of that. They ask me, I do it… I get no joy in this after a win or a loss. My team doesn't care if I come up here in a blowout win or loss."
De'Aaron Fox on his leadership.
(via @MattGeorgeSAC)pic.twitter.com/BunH1JCSsP
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 27, 2024
“In terms of talking to y'all? I don't get s**t out of that. I don't get nothing out of that. They ask me, I do it,” Fox firmly stated when asked about if he makes it a point to address the media after blowout losses, via Matt George of ABC10 in Sacramento. “I get no joy in this after a win or a loss My team doesn't care if I come up here in a blowout win or a blowout loss… It is what it is.”
The Kings could not get any momentum going against the Mavs, and Fox struggled to find his shot as well. This was yet another embarrassing loss for Sacramento, one that now makes their journey to the playoffs tougher. It is also worth mentioning that the Kings are set to be without starter Kevin Huerter the rest of the way due to a shoulder injury.
As things stand right now, the Kings find themselves in the play-in region of the Western Conference standings. Another game on Friday night against the Mavs will be vital not only because it presents the Kings with an opportunity to move back into the 6-seed, but also because this game could wind up deciding the season tiebreaker. Sacramento currently occupies this tiebreaker over Dallas since they have won two of the first three meetings this year.
Another loss to the Mavs on Friday would push the Kings farther down the standings, likely resulting in them having to earn a playoff spot via the play-in tournament in a few weeks.
Fox and the Kings are obviously frustrated with their 36-point loss to Dallas on Tuesday night, but that game is now behind them. Sacramento can control their own destiny heading into the playoffs, and they have a great opportunity to bounce back in a huge way on Friday against the Mavs.
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