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De’Aaron Fox wins first-ever NBA Clutch Player of the Year Award

Fox led the Kings to their first playoff berth in more than a decade.

NBA: Playoffs-Golden State Warriors at Sacramento Kings Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

De’Aaron Fox has taken his game to the next level this season.

The 2017 draft’s fifth-overall pick, Fox has been a stud, although his Sacramento Kings haven’t quite reached their full potential until this season. Their success has been on the back of the 25-year-old first-time All-Star guard.

Fox averaged 25 points per game this season. He added in a career-best 4.2 rebounds per game and chipped in 6.1 assists per game as well. He shot over 50% from the field for the first time in his career.

The Kings, who are up 2-0 on the NBA-reigning Warriors in a best-of-7 first-round series, finished the year 48-34, earning the third seed in the Western Conference.

Fox’s contributions helped him earn the league’s first-ever Clutch Player of the Year award.

On top of those averages, many of which were the best of his young career, Fox finished 6th in the NBA in fourth-quarter scoring, averaging 7.8 points per game in the final period and shooting over 50% on those attempts. Of the top-6 players in fourth-quarter scoring, he also had the fewest turnovers in the period.

His combination of elite scoring and efficient play is exactly what earned him this award, and that’s exactly what has his Kings in a great position to make it to the second round in the playoffs.

Fox is only in his sixth season in the NBA, and there’s good reason to believe the best is yet to come for the former Wildcat standout.

With a strong young core in Sacramento led by the 6-foot-3 guard, the Kings have the potential to finally become a powerhouse in the Western Conference in the years to come.

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