De’Aaron Fox bursts to the rim and finishes over Julius Randle
In the blink of an eye, Sacramento Kings rookie De’Aaron Fox blew by Lakers defender Larry Nance Jr. with a nifty inside out move and rose up to throw home a jam. Though he was met at the rim by Julius Randle, Fox somehow managed to rattle in the dunk through the hard contact and basket interference.
Fox made the highlight of the game, but gave Kings fans a scare as he crashed back first into the hardwood. Although he came down forcefully and needed to be removed from the game, team officials later told reporters that he had simply bruised his back and they had benched him as a precautionary measure.
The seventh overall pick in this year’s draft only managed a single basket in nine minutes of play, but showcased his explosive athleticism and advanced handles that made him such a highly coveted prospect.
After his exit, the Kings went on to lose the game 75-69 to the Los Angeles Lakers in a sloppy showing that saw the two troupes come together to shoot an ugly 36 percent from the field.
Despite the messy play and the absence of superstar rookie Lonzo Ball, the Las Vegas crowd made a ruckus and stuck it out for the entirety of the game.
Fox and Ball were one of the most tantalizing freshman matchups in all of college basketball last year, and they didn’t disappoint in their first NCAA meeting. Let’s hope the inaugural NBA bout between the two rookie floor generals lives up to all the hype that surrounds their games.
