SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The country song “All My Ex’s Live in Texas” by George Strait blared throughout the Golden 1 Center during the San Antonio Spurs’ player introductions, and every time De’Aaron Fox touched the ball, the crowd greeted him with raucous boos.
When the Kings played a Fox tribute video during a first-quarter timeout, the sellout crowd of 18,332 booed initially, before rising for a standing ovation.
Fox’s performance in his first game back in Sacramento since it traded him in early February mirrored the unevenness of the fans’ reaction to him Friday in San Antonio’s 127-109 loss to the Kings.
“I haven’t made a shot in two weeks, man,” Fox said. “When you change teams, at some point you’re going to play the [former] team. I think it was good. I wouldn’t really say I got emotional. But [the tribute] was great. I was here for so long, almost a decade. So, I really do appreciate it.”
Fox poured in a team-high 16 points, shooting 6-of-17 from field, including 0-for-6 from 3-point range. It was the fourth time this season that Fox didn’t make a 3 and missed at least six attempts from deep.
“I thought he handled it with class,” Spurs acting coach Mitch Johnson said of Fox’s return. “I thought he handled it like a professional, which is what we expected him to do. I thought he got into the flow as the game went on. He missed a lot of shots he usually makes. But he got to that normal kind of bounce and pep in his step. We saw him create advantages everywhere on the floor. As the game just became basketball at some point, it was just nice to see him out there playing and trusting his instincts.”
Sacramento’s 18-point victory tied for the sixth-largest home win against the Spurs in franchise history, and it’s largest since 2022. The Kings cruised to their fifth win in their past six games on the strength of a 36-point night from Zach LaVine, who shot 7-of-11 from 3-point range.
For LaVine, who came to Sacramento as part of the three-team trade that sent Fox to San Antonio, it was his 20th career game with at least seven 3-pointers, something only 14 other players in NBA history have accomplished.
“Everybody in the league knows what Zach can do,” Fox said.
Fox drilled the first bucket of the game just 34 seconds into the action, a 16-foot fadeaway off an assist from veteran point guard Chris Paul. The 27-year old would miss his next four attempts in the first quarter, but San Antonio still led 26-20 going into the second frame.
Fox would make just two more baskets in the opening half, going 3-of-10 from the field for six points as Sacramento secured a 14-point lead headed into intermission.
“Foxy is incredible, man,” said Kings interim coach Doug Christie. “He’s a special, special talent. You’ve just got to buckle up and do everything you can to make it as difficult as you can on him. I’ve seen everything thrown at him, and I’ve seen him respond to everything.”
The clash on Friday wasn’t one of those occasions. Fox inflicted most of his damage in the second half, going 3-of-7 for 10 points. He finished the night with eight assists, four rebounds and a steal.
Although the Spurs led by eight points in the first half, Sacramento built a 27-point advantage in the second half and had a 51-36 edge in rebounds.
“I couldn’t imagine how many emotions were running through his head playing in this game,” San Antonio rookie guard Stephon Castle said. “I feel like he handled it well. I know he had this game circled on his calendar since the trade. Just as a team, I feel like we all wanted that win for him.”
Source: espn.com