Getty DeAaron Fox of the Sacramento Kings. Fox shared some thoughts on the Dallas Mavericks after a hard fought win on February 11.
Things didn’t go according to plan for the Dallas Mavericks in Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic’s first game as teammates. The Mavs fell to the Sacramento Kings, 133-128, in overtime, after DeAaron Fox caught fire down the stretch. Fox scored 36 points total, 14 of which, came in OT.
After lighting up Kyrie, Luka, and the Mavericks, the Kings star discussed the what goes into defending such a lethal pairing.
“Those two are great players, I think they’ll both be hall of famers. For us, we want to continue to make it tough on them, Fox said via the Sacramento Kings YouTube Channel. “Obviously, if you only have one of those guys, as soon as they (give up the ball) then you try and deny them. But with it being two of those type of players, as a team you have to try and be on a string… They’re going to make tough shots, they’re going to make tough shots every game. But you just want to continue to make that type of stuff beat you… if they’re making tough shots and they beat you then you just dap them up and move on.”
DeAaron Fox Weighs in on Playoff Race with Mavericks
Fox and his teammates understood the importance of the February 11 matchup with Dallas. Heading into the game, the two teams were separated by just one game in the Western Conference standings. The former Kentucky standout shared the Kings’ motivation heading into the showdown with the Mavericks.
“We were what, a game ahead of them coming into today? So, knowing that this is a win that we needed and one that they really wanted. Just trying to keep home court advantage going into the playoffs is huge.”
Another exciting aspect of the win for Fox and the Kings was besting the Mavs just one night after coming up short. He compared the back-to-back to a playoff series, citing the adjustments and mindset as similarities between the two.
“I definitely think it’s up there. Especially with that team and them having Kyrie, it brings like a playoff intensity to the game. For us, it’s great because we played that team yesterday, so it’s going to be kind of similar to when you get into a playoff series. You just try and make adjustments and come back better the next game, and I think we did a good job at that.”
Kyrie Irving Garners High Praise From DeAaron Fox
The last Mavericks-related topic that the Sacramento star discussed following Saturday’s victory was Irving, the team’s newest addition. The former No. 1 pick was dealt to Dallas back on February 5. Fox had nothing but great things to say about Uncle Drew.
“I love Ky(rie). I’ve watched him since he was in high school, then playing in college, since he got into the league. He’s a great person, always looking out for others. Just genuine, down to Earth. He goes out and he’s a competitor, he wants to rip your throat out when you’re on the court. Outside of that he’s just a great person, great father, great family man… It’s just being a great person and a great competitor at the same time. I don’t really think you can ask for anything else.”