2 Takeaways from Kings' Dominant 123-98 Win vs. Hornets

The Sacramento Kings went into North Carolina on a mission after a weird win over the Detroit Pistons left fans perplexed. The Kings took down the Charlotte Hornets 123-98, moving to 22-14 on the season, holding onto fifth place in the Western Conference.

The Hornets were without star point guard LaMelo Ball (ankle), veteran forward Gordon Hayward (calf), and young frontcourt duo Mark Williams (back) and PJ Washington (foot), so the Kings' win was expected. Regardless of the Hornets being short-handed, the Kings went into Charlotte and got the job done with a few strong performances.

Here are two takeaways from Sacramento's 25-point win in Charlotte:

Keegan Murray is finding a rhythm

Sacramento's standout sophomore, Keegan Murray, has had his ups and downs this season, headlined by his 47-point record-breaking performance in mid-December. In Tuesday's win over the Pistons, Murray had his second-highest scoring outburst this season, dropping 32 on 13-17 shooting.

Murray followed up his 32-point performance with 25 points in Wednesday's win, shooting 11-18 from the field. That's 57 points with 68.5/50.0 shooting splits through his last two outings. Since drafting Murray, the Kings are 21-2 when he scored 20+ points. If Murray can continue his hot streak, the Kings should continue to win.

De'Aaron Fox looked like himself again

After the ball drop on New Year's, Kings star point guard De'Aaron Fox has looked off. Whether the All-Star is dealing with an undisclosed injury or is just on a cold streak, Fox has looked off. In Tuesday's win over the Pistons, Fox followed up one of the worst games of his career with a 28-point performance, shooting 4-7 from deep.

Fox continued his strong play in Wednesday's win over the Hornets, pouring in 19 points and shooting 8-14 from the floor. Fox led the starting lineup with a +25 on-court point differential, as he did not have to stuff the stat sheet to affect the game.

Fox was able to take it easy on Wednesday, playing under 30 minutes in a win for the first time this season. The Kings got their second win of the season while on the second leg of a back-to-back, and with Fox playing like himself again, the Kings are trending in the right direction.

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