BBNBA: De'Aaron Fox, Malik Monk shine in another Sacramento win
It’s like you were watching the 2016-17 backcourt duo that rocked Kentucky Blue and White so well. Only this time, BBNBA duo De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk had on different colors. It was still a white jersey on the chest of Fox and Monk, but there was a purple outline that spelled “Kings”. The return of this duo has certainly gone well for Sacramento, seeing they’re in third place in the Western Conference.
The play from both guards was a spectacle to witness on Wednesday night, as the duo combined for 53 points in Sacramento’s 119-109 road win against San Antonio. That’s back-to-back wins for the Kings and the second time in three nights where Fox and Monk had 50-plus combined.
We start with Mr. Fox, who had himself a 31-point, 10-assist double-double against the Spurs. Fox has broken 30 points in his last two outings, which could prove huge for him in the long run. All-Star reserves will be announced later today and Fox is on the “bubble” of a first All-Star selection after not being named a starter.
Fox is averaging over 24 PPG this season and his play as of late helps his All-Star case. With Sacramento playing as well as they are, if Fox isn’t named to the squad the term “snubbed” could be thrown around.
Right now though, it seems that Fox is happy. He may have a couple of “thank-you’s” to give out, to two that BBN knows very well.
Not Forgetting Anyone
Monk on the other hand has had to do his share of the work from the bench. He’s gotten 32 minutes of action in back-to-back nights and has made sure to make his presence felt. This time, Monk went for 22 points on 8-13 shooting.
Monk is most certainly Sacramento’s sixth man of choice. The ability to break out in games and give the Kings 20+ points is why he’s so valuable to the organization. While Monk isn’t as consistent as Fox on a nightly basis, he proves that he’s worth the minutes given. Monk is averaging 13.1 PPG this season on a relatively loaded Kings roster. Some big nights in the second half of the season could land him in the Sixth Man of the Year discussion. While coming off the bench may not be the sexiest role on an NBA roster, Monk embraces his role admirably. Looks to me like he’s having fun.
Not to be a Kings fan page, but we can’t forget about Trey Lyles either. The big man didn’t pop off like Fox or Monk did, but still had himself a couple of highlights. Lyles scored a cool five points in Sacramento’s win. Hey, every point matters.
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The good, bad, and the ugly
On BBNBA’s disappointing end of the contest was San Antonio’s Keldon Johnson, who hasn’t had much to cheer for as of late. Johnson did post 18 points and eight boards in the defeat, but t problems just keep unraveling for the Spurs. They entered the month of February on a six-game skid and after Wednesday night’s loss, the streak grows. Just to show you how putrid the Spurs are playing, they only won two games in January. There were 15 games for San Antonio in January, just to put that into perspective. Ouch.
Let’s keep the vibes positive, though. Hats off to the Sacramento Kings who look the part as a challenger in the Western Conference. The Kings haven’t made the playoffs in 16 seasons, so they should definitely be feeling good about the start to the season. Let that Sacramento coronation continue and keep that beam lit.
Shai’s big day
It wasn’t the result that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder would have wanted on Wednesday night, but there’s something else that’s lingering around showing its importance. Ah yes, the announcement of the All-Star reserves.
Wednesday didn’t go OKC’s way, which saw them fall 112-106 to the Rockets. Gilgeous-Alexander went for 24 points, eight rebounds, and four assists. A good stat line but numbers like these have been second nature for him all season long. SGA is one of seven players in The Association averaging 30 or more PPG. The names that he’s with are ridiculous, so let me tell you a couple of names he’s above. Kevin Durant, Donovan Mitchell, Ja Morant, and Steph Curry, who nabbed the All-Star starter spot over SGA.
The wait is almost over for the All-Star reserves to be announced, with the names set to be announced later tonight on TNT. Gilgeous-Alexander was one of the best, if not THE best member of BBNBA to be a possible All-Star starter. However, that didn’t work out. It’s safe to say some people weren’t happy at SGA’s snub.
Other BBNBA Notes 2/1/23
- Tyrese Maxey went for 10 points off the bench in Philadelphia’s 105-94 win over Orlando. Maxey continues his get back from the foot injury that kept him sidelined.
- Shaedon Sharpe added nine points off the bench in Portland’s 122-112 road win in Memphis. Sharpe hit three 3-pointers, shooting 60% from beyond the arc.
- Once again, the All-Star reserves will be announced tonight and BBNBA hopefuls will be waiting to hear their names called. Gilgeous-Alexander and Anthony Davis should and most likely will be in. Fox will be an interesting one to watch, considering the pool of guards in the West is deep. You would think that Sacramento’s successful season thus far would help Fox’s case. We shall see!
BBNBA Stats 2/1/23:
| Player | Score | PTS | FG (3PT) | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | MIN | +/- |
| De’Aaron Fox (SAC) | 119-109 W @ SAS | 31 | 13-23 (2-4) | 2 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 38 | +17 |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC) | 112-106 L @ HOU | 24 | 7-23 (0-3) | 8 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 34 | -7 |
| Malik Monk (SAC) | 119-109 W @ SAS | 22 | 8-13 (2-3) | 3 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 32 | +9 |
| Keldon Johnson (SAS) | 119-109 L vs. SAC | 18 | 8-18 (1-5) | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 36 | -10 |
| Tyrese Maxey (PHI) | 105-94 W vs. ORL | 10 | 2-11 (1-5) | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 31 | +9 |
| Shaedon Sharpe (POR) | 122-112 W @ MEM | 9 | 3-6 (3-5) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | +11 |
| Jarred Vanderbilt (UTA) | 131-128 W vs. TOR | 6 | 3-4 (0-1) | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | -1 |
| Trey Lyles (SAC) | 119-109 W @ SAS | 5 | 2-3 (0-1) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 20 | +3 |
| Devin Booker (PHX) | 132-100 L vs. ATL | DNP | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| TyTy Washington Jr. (HOU) | 112-106 W vs. OKC | DNP | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Karl-Anthony Towns (MIN) | 119-114 W (OT) vs. GSW | DNP | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Tonight in the NBA
7:00: Lakers (Gabriel, Davis: probable) @ Pacers (Jackson)
7:30 (TNT): Grizzlies @ Cavaliers
7:30: Heat (Herro, Adebayo) @ Knicks (Randle, Quickley)
8:00: Hornets (PJ Washington, Richards) @ Bulls
8:30: Pelicans @ Mavericks
9:00: Warriors @ Nuggets (Murray)
10:00 (TNT): Clippers (Boston Jr., Wall: out) @ Bucks
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