BBNBA: De'Aaron Fox takes shot at CBB, Tyrese Maxey explodes for 37
Due to a minor hamstring injury, former Kentucky Wildcat De’Aaron Fox didn’t suit up on Saturday for the Sacramento Kings, but he sure did make headlines for a comment he had about the current state of college basketball.
On Friday, during a routine press conference, Fox was asked if he’s been watching any of the ongoing March Madness action. His response quickly turned into a viral clip after he criticized the college game for being hard to watch, stating he “can’t watch a full college game” because of the poor coaching, shot-making, and refereeing.
Fox wasn’t trying to be “malicious” with the way he answered the softball question. He was just being honest. To be fair, he’s not exactly wrong, either — although the TV ratings and multiple Cinderella runs sure seem to prove otherwise, at least for this season’s tournament.
Granted, if his alma mater were still in the NCAA Tournament, he’d probably feel a different way…
Tyrese Maxey drops 37 in Sixers’ loss
But let’s talk about some actual basketball, shall we? In the most exciting BBNBA matchup from Saturday, Tyrese Maxey exploded for 37 points (21 in the first half) — his second-most scored this season — while shooting an incredibly efficient 14-19 from the field and 7-11 from beyond the arc. Maxey also chipped in seven rebounds and three assists to the cause for his Philadelphia 76ers, but his massive night was spoiled by another former ‘Cat.
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Devin Booker put up an easy 29 points (18 in the first half) on the other end for the Phoenix Suns, which cruised to a 125-105 win over the 76ers. Book hit all nine of his free-throw attempts while also contributing three rebounds and five assists in just 31 minutes of action. The win snapped Phoenix’s three-game losing streak just in time for the return of Kevin Durant, who is progressing towards coming back from his injury sometime this coming week. The Suns rattled off a game-deciding 26-11 run early in the fourth quarter to go ahead for good down the stretch.
Phoenix had lost six of its previous seven games before beating Philly on Saturday, while the 76ers have now dropped three of its last four outings. The Suns currently hold a 39-35 record, good enough for fourth in the Western Conference standings. Philadelphia is still sitting pretty in the Eastern Conference’s third-place spot with a 49-25 record.
Other BBNBA notes
- In a battle between the East and West’s top two teams, it was Jamal Murray‘s Denver Nuggets that came out on top. Murray went for 26 points, six rebounds, and nine assists in the Nuggets’ 129-106 win over the Milwaukee Bucks, which received 31 points and nine rebounds from Giannis Antetokounmpo.
- The Miami Heat’s season of confusion continued after being bested by the Brooklyn Nets 129-100. Miami was outscored 31-6 at one point in the third quarter as Mikal Bridges finished with 27 points for the Nets. Meanwhile, Tyler Herro led the way for the Heat with his 23 points on 9-16 shooting. He was aided by 16 points and seven rebounds from Bam Adebayo. The win for Brooklyn actually moved them past Miami for sixth in the Eastern Conference Playoff race.
- Without Fox, the Kings still came out with a win over the Utah Jazz, 121-113. Former Wildcats Malik Monk and Trey Lyles saw some playing time, combining for 18 points in 23 total minutes.
- Isaiah Jackson got the start for the Indiana Pacers, finishing with 14 points, five rebounds, and three steals in 23 minutes of action. The Pacers came away with a 143-130 win.
3/25/23 statistics
| Player | Score | PTS | FG (3PT) | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | +/- | MIN |
| Tyrese Maxey (PHI) | 125-105 L @ PHX | 37 | 14-19 (7-11) | 7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -9 | 35 |
| Devin Booker (PHX) | 125-105 W vs. PHI | 29 | 9-18 (2-4) | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 31 |
| Jamal Murray (DEN) | 129-106 W vs. MIL | 26 | 9-19 (5-10) | 6 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 14 | 32 |
| Tyler Herro (MIA) | 129-100 L vs. BKN | 23 | 9-16 (3-8) | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | -21 | 33 |
| Bam Adebayo (MIA) | 129-100 L vs. BKN | 16 | 8-14 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -24 | 34 |
| Isaiah Jackson (IND) | 143-130 L @ ATL | 14 | 7-10 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 23 |
| Trey Lyles (SAC) | 121-113 W vs. UTA | 10 | 2-5 (2-5) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -10 | 14 |
| Malik Monk (SAC) | 121-113 W vs. UTA | 8 | 3-5 (2-3) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -3 | 9 |
| De’Aaron Fox (SAC) | 121-113 W vs. UTA | DNP-Hamstring | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Brandon Boston Jr. (LAC) | 131-110 L vs. NOP | DNP-G League | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Today in the NBA
1:00: Mavericks @ Hornets (Richards, PJ Washington)
3:30: Bulls @ Lakers (Davis: probable, Gabriel, Vanderbilt)
6:00 (NBA TV): Grizzlies @ Hawks
6:00: Spurs (Johnson) @ Celtics
6:00: Rockets (TyTy Washington: G League) @ Cavaliers
6:00: Nets @ Magic
6:00: Wizards @ Raptors
7:00: Thunder (Gilgeous-Alexander, Sarr) @ Trail Blazers (Knox, Sharpe)
8:30 (NBA TV): Timberwolves (Towns: questionable) @ Warriors
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