BBNBA: SGA can't hit game-winner, De'Aaron Fox goes off for 31 points

After an extended hiatus due to the NBA All-Star break, former Wildcats passionately hit the hardwood on Thursday. Between nine contests, 10 former Kentucky players saw action. However, one player stood above the rest.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander does it again

Saying Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had an excellent performance is almost redundant at this point. With that said… Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had an excellent performance.

The 6-foot-6 Oklahoma City Thunder guard exploded for 39 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in an overtime thriller. Unfortunately, the thrilling story didn’t have a satisfying ending. SGA and the Thunder ultimately fell 120-119 to the Utah Jazz.

unguardable shai.

pic.twitter.com/rfzEWKtQG7

— TF (@ThunderFocus) February 24, 2023

In the loss, SGA lived at the free-throw line, going 15-19 from the stripe. The former All-SEC Tournament Team member averages 10.6 free-throw attempts per outing this season, ranking fourth in the NBA.

Nevertheless, SGA couldn’t draw contact on the final play of the game. The former Cat dribbled between three defenders as the clock expired to find himself with a double-clutch jumper 17 feet away from the rim. The difficult shot rimmed out — a rare occurrence for SGA, who has the sixth most clutch points in the league this season.

Shai was SO CLOSE to calling game 😮 pic.twitter.com/0lfd9WmlpU

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 24, 2023

Kentucky takes over in Sacramento

Luckily for BBN, not every former Wildcat suffered such a tragic Thursday evening. Fueled by De’Aaron Fox‘s spectacular speed, the Sacramento Kings comfortably defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 133-116. In the triumph, Fox dropped 31 points while shooting a ridiculous 11-15 from the field, 2-4 from deep and 7-8 from the charity stripe.

Swipa was swipin' tonight 🦊 @lesschwab Drive of the Game pic.twitter.com/RidCwdakpL

— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) February 24, 2023

The former All-American has been electric lately. In Fox’s last five games, he’s averaged three more points per outing than his season average. Fox wasn’t the only former Cat who stepped up his game on Thursday, though.

Malik Monk added 15 points to the Kings’ victory effort despite playing just 21 minutes. The 6-foot-3 guard made the right decision at every turn, recording a plus/minus of +18. Trey Lyles added seven points and five boards, as well.

Portland Trail Blazers rookie Shaedon Sharpe couldn’t do enough to defeat his fellow former Wildcats. In the loss, Sharpe went for nine points on 4-14 shooting in 22 minutes (but did throw down a crazy windmill dunk). The Canadian native had plenty of time to mourn his loss under the glow of the Kings’ Victory Beam.

THE BEAM IS BACK pic.twitter.com/i0oNvsgK0D

— Kings Film Room (@SacFilmRoom) February 24, 2023

Other Cats in the NBA

While these two games included the highlights of the night, there were tons of one-time Wildcats in action. In the first game of the evening, Jamal Murray recorded 16 points and nine assists to boost the Denver Nuggets to a 115-109 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Further West, Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers picked up their first win since All-Star Weekend with a 124-111 triumph over the Golden State Warriors. In the win, Davis put up 12 points and 12 rebounds in just 26 minutes. Jarred Vanderbilt snagged nine rebounds for the Lakers.

On the opposite side of the country, Hamidou Diallo scored 12 points in a buzzer-beating 108-106 loss to the Orlando Magic. Spurs star Keldon Johnson also did his thing despite his team’s ugly efforts. The former SEC Freshman of the Year recorded 22 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in a 142-116 loss against the Dallas Mavericks.

Lastly, Tyrese Maxey had a solid showing in the Philadelphia 76ers’ 110-105 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. Maxey dropped 16 points and four assists in the win. The Philly staff trusts their young star, playing Maxey for 37 minutes in the tightly-contested battle.

2/23/2023 Statistics

Player	Score	PTS	FG (3PT)	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	MIN	+/-
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC)	120-119 L @ UTA	39	12-26 (0-2)	8	7	2	1	2	41	0
De’Aaron Fox (SAC)	133-116 W vs. POR	31	11-15 (2-4)	3	3	1	0	4	26	+3
Keldon Johnson (SA)	142-116 L @ DAL	22	8-13 (1-3)	8	7	1	0	6	31	-11
Tyrese Maxey (PHI)	110-105 W vs. MEM	16	6-18 (0-6)	2	4	0	0	0	37	+8
Jamal Murray (DEN)	115-109 W @ CLE	16	6-19 (3-11)	1	9	2	0	2	33	+13
Malik Monk (SAC)	133-116 W vs. POR	15	6-10 (1-3)	3	2	0	0	1	21	+18
Anthony Davis (LAL)	124-111 W vs. GSW	12	3-5 (0-0)	12	1	0	2	1	26	+5
Hamidou Diallo (DET)	108-106 L @ ORL	12	5-10 (0-0)	3	1	2	1	3	20	+15
Trey Lyles (SAC)	133-116 W vs. POR	7	3-6 (1-4)	5	2	0	0	0	21	+20
Jarred Vanderbilt (LAL)	124-111 W vs. GSW	4	2-4 (0-1)	9	2	0	0	2	18	+16
Isaiah Jackson (IND)	142-138 L vs. BOS	DNP	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–

Tonight in the NBA

7:00: Knicks (Randle, Quickley) @ Wizards
7:30: Cavaliers @ Hawks
7:30 (ESPN): Heat (Adebayo, Herro: available) @ Bucks
8:00: Hornets (Washington, Richards) @ Timberwolves (Towns: out)
8:00: Nets @ Bulls
10:00 (ESPN): Thunders (Gilgeous-Alexander: questionable) @ Suns (Booker)
10:00: Rockets (TyTy Washington) @ Warriors
10:30: Kings (Fox, Monk, Lyles) @ Clippers (Boston: G League)