What we learned as Keon’s career night wasted in Kings’ loss to Hawks

What we learned as Keon’s career night wasted in Kings’ loss to Hawks originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

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SACRAMENTO – A down-to-the-wire game didn’t fall the Kings’ way as they fell 109-108 to the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night at Golden 1 Center.

Despite a career night from Kings guard Keon Ellis, who finished with nine 3-pointers and 33 points off the bench, the Hawks fought until the end to secure a win on the second night of a back-to-back.

The Kings started Monday’s game looking like they were playing their sixth game in nine days. They were held to just six points through the first seven minutes of game action, but after trailing 22-6 with 5:14 remaining in the first quarter, Sacramento went on a 24-10 run to close out the opening frame.

Their 3-point shooting helped, making their final six 3-point attempts to close out the first quarter – including three straight within a 58-second frame.

Sacramento re-gained the lead in the second and led by as many as 11 points in the first half, but the Hawks never stopped fighting. Atlanta responded with a 22-13 run to close out the first half and tighten the deficit to two at the midway break.

And it was fair game from then on.

De’Aaron Fox, who scored 109 points over the last two games on 58.4-percent shooting, finished with 28 points.

Keegan Murray fouled out with 8:51 remaining in the game, finishing with just seven points on 3-of-9 shooting from the field and 1 of 3 from 3-point range, with seven rebounds, one assists and two steals in 22 minutes.

Playing without DeMar DeRozan (lower back tightness), Domantas Sabonis (lower back tightness) and Malik Monk (ankle), the Kings needed someone to step up and help Fox while playing their third game in four days.

Ellis stepped into that role perfectly, but unfortunately, it wasn’t enough for Sacramento.

Raining 3s on Ellis Island

Eventually, the torch must be passed.

After a weekend all about Fox, the hot hand transferred over to Ellis.

The 24-year-old entered Monday’s contest averaging 5.3 points while shooting 34.4 percent from 3-point range on 2.5 attempts per game this season. But Monday was The Keon Ellis Game.

Ellis came out on fire, making all of his first six 3-point attempts. He had a season-high 18 points by the first half, with four rebounds and one assist in 16 minutes.

By the following quarter, he surpassed his career-high in points.

He finished with 33 points on 9-of-17 shooting from the field and 9 of 15 from beyond the arc, with six rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block in 33 minutes off the bench.

What he brings to the defensive end of the floor is well-documented, but his offensive aggressiveness will be crucial for the team’s success moving forward – especially with players out due to injury.

Still Him

It might not have been a 60-piece, but Fox still was effective and efficient as ever Monday night.

Monday was just another reminder to the rest of the world of what he’s always known.

“I already knew I was nice,” Fox said after dropping a career-best 60 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves just three nights ago.

Fox finished with 28 points on 11-of-23 shooting from the field and 3 of 6 from deep, with five rebounds, seven assists and one steal in 39 minutes.

Ice (cold) Trae

Atlanta’s best player nearly was a no-factor with his scoring.

Trae Young, one of the great young shooters in the game, came into Sacramento averaging 23.8 points. On Monday, he finished with just seven points on 1-of-7 shooting from the field.

It was only the second time he was held to single digits this season.

But his playmaking was as prevalent as ever, finishing with a season-best 19 assists.

And in the end, Atlanta didn’t even need a big shooting night from its star to claim victory.

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