The Sacramento Kings are growing up right before our eyes. On Tuesday night, the Kings beat the Denver Nuggets 125-115 thanks in large part to the production they got from their promising defense game of De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton.
Coming out of a disappointing match against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday, Fox was at the center of everything the Kings did offensively on Tuesday, scoring 24 points in an efficient field shot of 8 out of 15 and hitting nine points for the assisting team . If you can believe it, Harrison Barnes had eight assists, which is a highlight of his career.
Fox had good lines of statistics before, but this one looks different because of the way he took over in the fourth period. The stakes were high, or as high as they can be for a game early in the season, and he delivered. This is what you want from the face of your franchise.
Equally composed on Tuesday night was Tyrese Haliburton, who is quickly making people question how he dropped to 12th place in the 2020 NBA Draft. He’s also making people wonder whether or not he’s a newbie.
In 24:54, Haliburton did a little bit for the Kings, adding 13 points, six assists, three rebounds and three steals. For someone who didn’t have the luxury of playing in the NBA Summer League, he understands the speed of an NBA game as well as anyone. He’s good, and if he continues like that, he’ll be considered Rookie of the Year sooner or later.
In total, seven Kings ended the night in double digits, including Richaun Holmes and Marvin Bagley III, who finished with 38 points combined on Tuesday night. This is no small feat against people like Nikola Jokic and Paul Millsap. They were great, and they will only get better – especially Bagley.
Kings still have some areas that they need to clear. After all, they almost let this game slip away from them by letting the Nuggets go on a 17-0 run in the quarter. But they are proving that they are talented enough to keep the games played and doubtful enough to win. These things make a young and fun team.