Fox named Western Conference Player of the Week for historic stretch

Fox named Western Conference Player of the Week for historic stretch originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The NBA recognized Kings star De’Aaron Fox for his incredible scoring stretch.

The 26-year-old guard was named Western Conference Player of the Week for Sacramento’s 2-2 stretch between Nov. 11 and 17. It is Fox’s sixth time earning the honor, breaking his tie with DeMarcus Cousins (five) for the second-most in Kings history behind Chris Webber’s seven.

In the four-game span, Fox averaged 40.5 points and made 57.1 percent of 3-point shots and 57.4 percent of field goal attempts – he shot the ball 101 times. Fox also averaged 7.3 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals.

Fox posted 24 points, three assists and six rebounds in a loss against the San Antonio Spurs and 29 points, 10 assists and six rebounds in a win over the Phoenix Suns. But Fox had the nod in the bag after scoring a team-record, career-high 60 points with seven assists, three rebounds and three steals in the Kings’ loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday and 49 points, nine assists, three rebounds and two steals in the win over the Utah Jazz on Saturday.

“I’m just trying to stay in constant attack mode,” Fox told NBC Sports California’s Morgan Ragan and Deuce Mason Sunday on “Kings Postgame Live.” “I’m just trying to be able to get downhill. … I mean, for me, I want to be in the best shape of my life, and I feel like I’m getting in it. A lot of the time, the rim looks like an ocean.

“My teammates, they’re looking at me to create. … My teammates are looking at me to do a little bit more. I’m trying to keep it very, very simple; if we’re in a pick-and-roll [or] if get a mismatch somewhere, get downhill [and] finish; if I can’t finish, spray the ball.”

Sacramento has been without sixth-man guard Malik Monk and is monitoring All-Stars Domantas Sabonis (back) and DeMar DeRozan (back), as the former is doubtful for Monday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks and the latter out.

Even with more defensive attention on him, Fox has answered the call.

Fox is the first Kings player to score 100-plus points in a two-game span since Cousins scored 104 in 2016. Fox also was the first player league-wide to score at least 109 since Kobe Bryant scored 110 in 2007. Fox, an eight-year NBA veteran, is just the third player in history to pull off the feat besides Bryant and Wilt Chamberlain.

As one could expect, Fox led all players in most offensive categories – total points (162), field goals made (58) and free throws made (34). The inaugural winner of the NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year Award led the league with seven clutch field goals and 21 clutch points last week.

Fox currently is averaging career highs in points (28.9), rebounds (5.0), free-throw attempts (6.8), free-throw percentage (84.2) and effective field goal percentage (56.1). The past week has helped boost his numbers across the board.

“Yeah, he hitting his prime,” Kings coach Mike Brown told reporters about Fox after Sunday’s victory. “He understands what winning is about and he understands what we need from him.”

The Kings are a middle-of-the-pack 8-6 through 14 games. Without Fox, though, Sacramento would be much worse off, making it unsurprising that Fox is the West’s Player of the Week.

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