De'Aaron Fox flashes two-way potential in Game 1 win over Warriors

All of the talk of a split crowd in Game 1 of the 2022-23 NBA Playoffs was quieted early. There were maybe a handful of Warriors fans in each section, but Sacramento owned Saturday night at Golden 1 Center.

Behind a deafening, playoff-starved fanbase, the Kings matched the energy of the night. They looked a little shaky early and the jitters got the best of a player or two, but that didn’t stop Mike Brown’s squad from pulling off the 126-123 victory to take a 1-0 lead in the first round series.

There were plenty of questions coming into this series. The biggest one was answered. De’Aaron Fox has been the motor of the Kings all season long, but this was his first career playoff game.

He didn’t come out of the gate firing, but that may not have been the plan. Instead, he accepted the challenge of slowing future first ballot Hall of Famer, Stephen Curry.

Fox has shown flashes of his defensive ability, but he’s never put it together for a full game. He changed that Saturday night at Golden 1 Center when he took another step toward star status when he chased Curry all over the court.

“Y’all see that clip with J.R. Smith talking about Delly?” Fox asked the media. “That shit is real. It’s real.”

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