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If De'Aaron Fox was the star for the Sacramento Kings in their Game 1 win over the Warriors, Davion Mitchell has a strong shout for being the Game 2 standout.
Fox scored 24 points as the Kings sailed to a 2-0 lead in their first-round series against the defending champions following a thrilling 114-106 victory in Game 2 on Monday night.
Mitchell only scored 14 points in comparison — though he averages a career 8.5 points per game — along with 2 rebounds and 3 assists. However, it was his defensive job and hounding of Warriors star Steph Curry that was most impactful.
Curry scored a game-high 28 points but struggled from beyond the arc, scoring just three of his 13 attempts in addition to bagging just 15 points over the first three quarters.
Mitchell also came up clutch with a corner three to put the score at 112-103 with just over a minute remaining in the game to all but seal the win. And for Fox, Mitchell was simply ‘big time' for the Kings.
“He was big time for us,” Fox said of Mitchell. “We all know what he can do defensively. He handled Steph most of the game, and then what he did offensively was huge, like the big 3 in the corner. Honestly, I would say that was the nail in the coffin.”
Fox praised Mitchell further when talking of their practice meetings, essentially crediting the 24-year-old for making him the player that he is today.
“I go against (Mitchell) every day and that’s why you’ll see what I do out here because I’m not going against Davion out here,” Fox added. “He’s made me a better player since he’s been here. Obviously, he has the nickname of ‘Off Night’, but I don’t think people realize how he moves laterally and how strong he actually is.
“He’s made me a much better player.”
The Kings can take a huge step in progressing to the next round if they can manage a road win against the Warriors. Game 3 takes place Thursday at Chase Center.
