Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox dropped 38 points on the Warriors in his playoff debut, leading Sacramento to its first postseason win since 2006.
Kings fans were treated to an epic victory in a close matchup against the reigning champions, and just after the dust settled, Fox joined team owner Vivek Ranadive at midcourt for the beloved tradition of lighting the beam.
It was an awesome moment for fans in Sacramento, who had been waiting to light the beam after a home playoff game since 2006. That 17-year dry spell has come to an end, and it was clear how much it meant to the fan base to see them secure the Game 1 victory.
De'Aaron Fox lights the beam, playoffs style 🙌
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) April 16, 2023
(via @SacramentoKings) pic.twitter.com/8RFuPwz12V
Fox’s 38 points led all scorers in Saturday’s game and were the second most by a player in their playoff debut in NBA history, trailing only Luka Doncic, who had 42 in his first taste of postseason action back in 2020.He knocked down 13 of 27 field goals, including going 4-of-8 on three-point shots. He added five assists and three steals while taking over alongside Malik Monk down the stretch.
Kings fans will be hoping that beam can be lit up several more times throughout the team’s playoff run. They host the Warriors again on Monday before the series shifts to San Francisco for Game 3 on Thursday.
