Kings-Bucks Matchup of the Game: De'Aaron Fox vs. Damian Lillard

With Malik Monk out, the Kings will need Fox to be on his A-game against Damian Lillard and the Milwaukee Bucks

Jan 14, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) scores the game-winning three-point basket at the end of overtime against the Sacramento Kings at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

The Sacramento Kings (20-19) visit the Milwaukee Bucks (20-17) as they look to extend their winning streak to eight games.

There are two candidates for the matchup of the game, either Keegan Murray vs. Giannis Antetokounmpo or De'Aaron Fox vs. Damian Lillard. With Antetokounmpo still listed on the injury report as probable, and Malik Monk being out, that brings the matchup of the game to the All-Star guards.

Season Stats:

De'Aaron Fox: 26.6 PTS | 5.1 REB | 6.1 AST | 1.6 STL | 0.4 BLK | 48.8 FG% | 32.8 3P%

Damian Lillard: 24.8 PTS | 4.4 REB | 7.3 AST | 1.2 STL | 0.1 BLK | 44.0 FG% | 37.5 3P%

After missing three games following his hard fall against the Memphis Grizzlies, De'Aaron Fox came back to quietly lead the Kings in scoring in their win against the Chicago Bulls.

In his second game back he gets a matchup against a Bucks team that struggling defending guards. Lillard can still score with the best of them, but if he's guarding Fox throughout the game, it's a matchup the Kings should look to exploit as much as possible.

On the flip side, Lillard will be faced with a trio of defenders in Fox, Keon Ellis, and Devin Carter throughout the game as Sacramento attempts to slow down the explosive shooter.

Dame is shooting 48.3% from beyond the arc over the last four games. With Khris Middleton ruled out and Giannis dealing with his injury, there will be more shots to go around with Lillard being the likely candidate to pick up the scoring slack.

While he's known for his scoring, Lillard has been a great distributor for the Bucks this season with 7.3 assists. Milwaukee is 6-1 when he has 10 or more assists this year. For a Kings team that likes to force 'others' to beat them, they'll need to be on the lookout for Lillard getting his teammates involved and changing strategies if need be during the game.

Stat predictions:

De'Aaron Fox: 35 PTS, 5 REB, 6 AST, 3 STL, 0 BLK

Damian Lillard: 22 PTS, 3 REB, 11 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK

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