NEW YORK — Sacramento guard De’Aaron Fox was fined $20,000 on Monday for criticizing the officiating following the Kings’ 128-112 loss to the Utah Jazz on Saturday night.
Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell kept Fox from going after the officials following the game in Salt Lake City. The Kings guard had been bothered throughout the second half, and Mitchell, who said he has known Fox since high school, wanted to save him from a potential fine.
“If you’re going to call something on one end, call it on the other end,” Fox said after the game. “And if somebody is trying to talk to you, you can’t get your feelings [hurt] so quick to where it’s not even a hostile conversation and you’re saying, ‘Don’t talk to [me]’ and this and this and that and that. I mean, you’re coming down guessing on plays.”
Sacramento coach Luke Walton said he shared Fox’s exasperation in his postgame interview as he pointed to Mitchell’s 17 free throw attempts to Fox’s six.
Fox scored 30 points during the loss. He’s averaging 24.7 points and 7.2 assists for the season.