De’Aaron Fox answered any doubts with exactly the performance the San Antonio Spurs needed, dropping 21 points and dishing out nine assists in a commanding 114-95 Game 5 victory to close out the series. He poured in 13 of those points in the fourth quarter to seal the deal after facing questions following Game 2.
Fox takes over in Game 5
Fox stepped up big when the game got tight in the final period, pushing the Spurs across the finish line. His strong finish came after a stretch that had put his fit and value back in the spotlight, but this showing gave San Antonio the result they wanted.
It wasn’t just one game, either. In Game 4, Fox put up 28 points on 11-of-17 shooting with seven assists, then followed it with 21 points and nine assists in Game 5. Over those two contests, he totaled 49 points and 16 assists while shooting better than 60 percent from the field and 45 percent from three-point range.
Coach Mitch Johnson praises Fox
Head coach Mitch Johnson had already called Game 4 one of Fox’s best as a Spur. That fits the bigger picture for the guard, whose role has evolved with Victor Wembanyama as the team’s main focal point.
Fox’s season averages sit at 18.6 points and 6.2 assists on 48.6 percent shooting for the Spurs, down from his 26.6 points per game in his final season with Sacramento where he earned All-Star and All-NBA recognition.
Spurs close out the series
The response carried extra weight after criticism ramped up following Game 2 against the Blazers, when talk about his four-year, $229 million contract heated up again. Three games later, Fox delivered a clear answer: two dominant finishes, a 114-95 blowout win, and a series wrapped up on the Spurs’ home court.