De'Aaron Fox and Kings Lose First NBA Preseason Game in India

On3 imageby:Zack Geoghegan10/04/19

ZGeogheganKSR

[caption id="attachment_269023" align="aligncenter" width="600"] (@NBA)[/caption] The NBA preseason matchup between the Sacramento Kings and the Indiana Pacers was historic on many levels. Mainly, it was the first-ever NBA game to be held in India as the league has made significant strides over the past few years to grow into a market that hosts over 1.3 billion people. Vivek Ranadive, the Kings owner and the first person of Indian descent to own an NBA team, has been pushing for more involvement in his homeland after buying the team back in 2013. It was a landmark day for the 61-year old, who has been working with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver as they try to create a market for basketball fans in the South-Asian country. Also, if you didn't already see, here is the $185 million modified Boeing 767 appropriately named "Air Drake" that rapper Drake loaned to the Kings for the 19-hour flight across the globe. Inside an arena in Mumbai that holds only 4,500 people, the Kings and Pacers played a game filled with regular season excitement. While Indiana came out victorious in a thrilling 132-131 overtime win over Sacramento, De'Aaron Fox showcased the freshest version of himself. Fox played 33 minutes for the Kings, who jumped out to a quick 10-point lead after one quarter and at one point ballooned the lead to 21 in the first half. He added 16 points, three rebounds, eight assists, and four turnovers while shooting 6-15 from the field. https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1180150701634314241 https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1180136808316846080 https://twitter.com/NBAKicks/status/1180144441153208321 Yogi Ferrell even hit a three-quarter court shot to end the first half. A comeback by the Pacers in the third quarter sparked up the intensity. Pacers forward T.J. Warren drilled a corner three with under eight seconds left to tie the game at 118, ultimately sending it to overtime. Kings guard Buddy Hield missed a three with under two seconds left in extra time that would have sent the game into a second overtime. The latest addition to the Kings, former Wildcat Tyler Ulis, did not play as he's been dinged up with a right groin strain. Wenyen Gabriel did not make an appearance for the Kings, either, but is listed as healthy. If you missed Friday's game, don't fret. The two teams will face each other once again on Saturday in the same gym. The game is scheduled to start at 9:30 a.m. EST on NBATV. The NBA season tips off on Oct. 22 and that is way too far away for my liking.

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2024-03-28