SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Kings guard De’Aaron Fox could see he was hot in the first quarter of the 121-117 win over the Utah Jazz on Saturday night.

He didn’t miss a shot in the first twelve minutes. And as he continued to go downhill, including some of his three-pointers, he knew he was in a zone.

Fox scored 49 points. This comes just one game – and one night – after scoring 60 points.

“I was a little tired coming in today, but I feel like when the game started I was doing well,” Fox said. “I’m not going to say I’m not tired… but I can’t say this back-to-back has made me more tired than any other back-to-back.”

He became the second Sacramento player to score at least 100 points in a two-game span, the other being DeMarcus Cousins ​​in 2016 when he scored 104. Fox is only the third player in NBA history to score at least 109 points in two days. along with Kobe Bryant (2007) and Wilt Chamberlain (17 different times).

“Woah,” Kings coach Mike Brown said when he heard that statistic, with a big grin on his face. “The back-to-back, the overtime game, he played 75 minutes last night… him going with us and missing three of our top six guys, that’s what says OK, he’s DeAaron Fox and he did his job. Would you like to know more?” , Kobe, Foxy.”

“No one can stop him from going to his place when he wants to,” Brown continued. ‘He feels that. Not only does he feel that, but he also shows it.’

With the Kings missing DeMar DeRozan, Domantas Sabonis and Malik Monk, Fox is operating with a heavier workload.

Brown said he didn’t have to have a conversation with Fox about picking up the slack. It was already understood.

“When you have guys of his caliber — and I’ve been with the Stephs and the KDs and the Kobes and the LeBrons and the Tim Duncans … they come to their place when they want to,” Brown said. “The biggest difference between those guys and the other pretty good players is that they do it consistently. So no, I didn’t have to say anything to Fox. He knew… he had to carry us.”

Fox tried not to approach the match thinking he had to make up for the lost score of these three players. But instead he focuses on the scoring tactics he has emphasized all season.

Fox scored at every level on Saturday, shooting 16 of 30 from the floor, with only three threes. He also shot 14 of 16 from the free-throw line — for the two he missed, he apologized.

Against the Timberwolves the night before, Fox went 22 of 35 from the field, with six made threes and ten made free throws.

“The ability to go downhill and touch the paint has worked wonders,” Fox said. “If you can do that, one, you can get to the hoop, two, you can get to the free-throw line, and three, you can still create something for teammates. I’m trying to make a point.” emphasize that.”