Taking care of the basketball is paramount to winning ballgames; after all, it's hard to put the ball through the basket and score more often than your opponent when you give away the ball cheaply, and on live-ball turnovers, no less. And for De'Aaron Fox and the Sacramento Kings, they need to chalk this one up to another lesson learned after Swipa turned the ball over six times (a season-high) in their 127-117 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans that puts a halt to their NBA In-Season Tournament run.

In particular, a terrible first quarter stretch for Fox may have turned the game in the Pelicans' favor for good. In the span of around one and half minutes, the Kings star point guard turned the ball over thrice, with Jose Alvarado poking the ball loose from behind on one possession, Naji Marshall picking his pocket clean on a crossover on one, and then Alvarado pulled off his signature grand theft maneuver by sneaking behind Fox, forcing a trifecta of crushing giveaways for the Kings.

At the end of the day, De'Aaron Fox knows that he has to be better. After all, he shoulders the burden of lifting the Kings to great heights, and he won't be able to do that unless he's playing at his best.

“It was my error… I just have to be tighter with my handle,” Fox said, per Brenden Nunes of Sactown Sports 1140.

De'Aaron Fox's turnovers in the first quarter were simply inexcusable, as the Pelicans made him look like a five-year old learning how to dribble for the first time. Perhaps the Kings star became nonchalant with his handle due to the big lead they had in the first period, so he has to be better in maintaining his focus.

But despite Fox's turnovers, credit must go to the Pelicans for their incredible offensive execution, as they shot 54 percent from the field and 45 percent from three, which is always a good recipe for success.

“They have shooters around (Zion Williamson) for a reason… when he's able to kick it out, and the ball starts moving, they have guys that can make shots, and they did that tonight,” Fox added.