BBNBA: Trio of former Cats take down Julius Randle, Knicks
As the curtain gradually closes on the NBA regular season, former Kentucky players are stealing the show. Between six NBA contests on Thursday night, eight one-time Wildcats saw action. Unfortunately, for some Cats to shine, they had to overshadow others.
Make the beam Kentucky blue
The Sacramento Kings didn’t have to worry about shadows as they sat under their illuminating “Victory Beam,” following a hard-fought 122-117 win over the New York Knicks. In the triumph, De’Aaron Fox was spectacular, recording 23 points and seven assists.
The 6-foot-3 guard dropped 16 points in the fourth quarter alone, including a tough finish to ice the game.
Fox wasn’t the only former Cat who showed out for the Kings. Trey Lyles added 16 points and six rebounds in the winning effort. To top it off, Malik Monk contributed 19 points, five rebounds and five assists while shooting 4-6 from deep in the win.
After the win, Monk discussed his connection with Fox and, more specifically, his ability to push the star’s buttons. The positive comment became an unintentionally comedic moment for the two friends.
NBA All-Star Julius Randle wasn’t in such a joking manner. Despite putting up 23 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, Randle found himself on the end of a painful loss. His fellow Wildcat on the Knicks didn’t have a similarly impressive stat line.
Immanuel Quickley recorded just three points in 27 minutes for the Knicks while shooting 1-11 from the field. The loss is New York’s second in a row after rattling off a nine-game win streak. As for the Kings, the win moves the team to second in the Western Conference standings.
Former Kentucky players dominate Detroit
While the competition in Detroit wasn’t as stiff, it was no less entertaining. The Charlotte Hornets defeated the Detroit Pistons 113-103. In the victory, Charlotte forward PJ Washington dropped 20 points and five rebounds in 28 minutes.
The point total is a jump for the 6-foot-8 starter, who is averaging 15.2 points per game this season, a career-high. Washington’s former teammate at Kentucky had an equally successful night. Nick Richards recorded 13 points and 10 rebounds on 6-7 shooting in the Hornets’ win.
Richards’ uptick in minutes came after starting center Mark Williams went out with a thumb sprain in the second half. Assuming Williams remains out for another couple of games, Richards has a chance to make a heavy impression on the franchise.
3/9/2023 Statistics
| Player | Score | PTS | FG (3PT) | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | MIN | +/- |
| De’Aaron Fox (SAC) | 122-117 W vs. NYK | 23 | 9-16 (1-4) | 3 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 31 | +7 |
| Julius Randle (NYK) | 122-117 L @ SAC | 23 | 8-22 (2-12) | 10 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 36 | -4 |
| PJ Washington (CHA) | 113-103 W @ DET | 20 | 6-15 (1-5) | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 28 | +15 |
| Malik Monk (SAC) | 122-117 W vs. NYK | 19 | 6-10 (4-6) | 5 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 20 | +1 |
| Trey Lyles (SAC) | 122-117 W vs. NYK | 16 | 4-7 (1-4) | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 25 | 0 |
| Nick Richards (CHA) | 113-103 W @ DET | 13 | 6-7 (0-0) | 10 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 29 | 0 |
| Immanuel Quickley (NYK) | 122-117 L @ SAC | 3 | 1-11 (1-8) | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 27 | +3 |
| Isaiah Jackson (IND) | 134-125 W @ HOU | 0 | 0-1 (0-0) | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | +2 |
| Hamidou Diallo (DET) | 113-103 L vs. CHA | DNP | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Tonight in the NBA
7:00: Trail Blazers (Sarr, Sharpe) @ 76ers (Maxey)
7:00: Hawks @ Wizards
8:00 (NBA TV): Cavaliers @ Heats (Adebayo, Herro)
8:00: Nets @ Timberwolves (Towns: out)
8:00: Nuggets (Murray) @ Spurs (Johnson)
10:30 (NBA TV): Raptors @ Lakers (Davis: probable, Gabriel, Vanderbilt)
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