4 Risers and 1 Faller Following Kings Overtime Win vs. Trail Blazers

The Sacramento Kings got their first De'Aaron Fox-less win of the season, but which players benefited the most from it?

The Sacramento Kings narrowly escaped with a win on Wednesday night against the Portland Trail Blazers, closing them out 121-118 in an overtime battle. This was the Kings' first win of the season with G De'Aaron Fox sidelined, as before, they were 0-3 in such matchups.

Kings G Malik Monk had a night, posting a career-high ten assists to go with his 23 points off the bench. Although he was shot an ice-cold 4-16 from the field and 0-7 from deep, Monk tacked on 15 made free throws on 19 attempts, many vital ones down the stretch.

While the Kings should have no trouble in a home game against a young, inexperienced Portland squad, a hard-fought win gives a Fox-less Kings team confidence heading into In-Season Tournament action. 

The All-Star point guard's status going forward remains unknown, but Sacramento hopes to have him back as soon as possible. 

After back-to-back losses against the Houston Rockets, the Kings needed their supporting cast to step up in Fox's absence, and they did just that Wednesday night. Four risers and one faller from Sacramento's thrilling win over Portland:

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Nov 6, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Davion Mitchell (15) handles the ball against Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (5) during the third quarter at Toyota Center.  / Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports

Riser: G Davion Mitchell

After being named to the starting lineup for three games in Fox's absence, HC Mike Brown decided to move Davion Mitchell back to the second unit, starting two-way G Keon Ellis instead. Fans were losing hope in Mitchell following back-to-back disappointing performances with the starters, but moving back to the bench might have given him some fuel.

Many Kings fans questioned Mitchell's offensive capabilities, and he responded with his best game of the season. The 25-year-old point guard had 16 points and four assists on 6-9 shooting from the field and 3-4 from deep.

While it was a surprising decision from Brown to start Ellis, it paid off with a win, and Mitchell made the most of his opportunity off the bench.

The Kings need Mitchell to continue this impressive play, especially if Fox has to miss more time. 

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Oct 27, 2023; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (10) dribbles the ball up the court against the Golden State Warriors during the first quarter at Golden 1 Center / Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports

Riser: C Domantas Sabonis

While it is hard to say an All-NBA center's stock is rising, Domantas Sabonis proved he is as dominant as ever. After back-to-back games of being outplayed by Rockets C Alperen Sengun, Sabonis bounced back with a near triple-double. The 6'10" big man finished with 27 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists, shooting an efficient 11-14 from the field.

There were still times when Sabonis was getting beat on defense, as his matchup C Deandre Ayton scored a quick eight points late in the fourth quarter, keeping Portland in the game. Outside of that stretch, Sabonis held his own and dominated the matchup.

As fans started to doubt his ability to step up with Fox sidelined, Sabonis proved anyone and everyone wrong with his dominant performance. This is the Sabonis that Kings fans were missing the last few games.

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Oct 8, 2023; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Sacramento Kings guard Kevin Huerter (9) handles the ball against the Toronto Raptors in the second half at Rogers Arena / Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports

Riser: G Kevin Huerter

In a similar situation as Mitchell, Kevin Huerter has struggled to get buckets to begin the season. Despite being on one of the worst cold streaks of his career, Huerter bounced back and might have found his stroke again. 

Huerter shot 4-9 from deep on his way to a 17-point performance, just his fourth double-digit outing this season. The sharpshooter is vital to the Kings' success as long as he makes his shots. Sabonis and Huerter play a beautiful two-man game, as Huerter has the playmakers surrounding him to be great. 

All Kings fans breathed a sigh of relief once Huerter started knocking down his shots again, as everyone hopes his cold streak is officially over. 

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Oct 19, 2023; Sacramento, California, USA; Utah Jazz center Omer Yurtseven (77) and Sacramento Kings center Alex Len (25) fight for position under the basket during the third quarter at Golden 1 Center / Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

Riser: C Alex Len

Despite playing a combined 11 minutes through the first six games of the season, C Alex Len played 13 minutes in Wednesday's win and made the most of his opportunity. The 30-year-old big man had ten points, six rebounds, and two blocks in his limited playing time. 

Len took the backup center minutes from JaVale McGee, who has proven to be a solid defensive anchor off the bench. Heading into the season, fans believed McGee would run away with the backup center battle, but it appears Len is giving Mike Brown a tough decision.

With Sabonis playing 40 minutes, no backup big man will get much playing time off the bench, but it is good to see Len making such a great impact in limited time.

After this impressive performance, Len could consistently find his way into the rotation as the season continues.

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Oct 29, 2023; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray (13) shoots the ball before the start of the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Golden 1 Center.  / Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Faller: F Keegan Murray

While it is not good to overreact to a small sample size, F Keegan Murray might be hitting an unexpected sophomore slump. Murray is in the midst of an unbelievable cold streak, shooting just 25% from deep to start his second season. 

Murray put up a disappointing nine points on 4-17 shooting (1-6 from three) but found other ways to contribute to Sacramento's win. His ball handling and playmaking have greatly improved from his rookie year, making him more of a threat when he catches the ball on the perimeter.

With Fox sidelined, Murray was expected to take the reigns as a potential number-one option in the offense but has taken a step back. In four games without Fox, Murray has averaged 9.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists with horrendous 29.1/14.8 shooting splits.

Murray was expected to step into a third-star role in Sacramento but has been disappointing to start the season. After shooting 41% from deep in his rookie year, this is likely just a cold streak, and the 23-year-old forward will get back on track soon.

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