De’Aron Fox wins Kia NBA Clutch Player of the Year

De’Aaron Fox Wins The 2022-2023 NBA #KiaClutch Award!

Sacramento Kings All-Star guard De’Aron Fox is the winner of the first NBA Clutch Player of the Year award after his continuous last-minute heroics helped his team make the playoffs for the first time in almost 17 years.

Fox received his first-ever individual award with 91 out of 100 first-vote votes and 460 of the 500 points, as announced during the NBA Tip-Off Show on Tuesday. Fox also becomes the first Sacramento player to win a major individual accolade since Tyreke Evans in 2010.

Sacramento Kings

2023-04-18 23:03

𝐒𝐢𝐫 𝐂𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞 👑     @swipathefox becomes the inaugural winner of the Kia NBA Clutch Player of the Year award 🙌 https://t.co/APJdN7ToyE

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He led the NBA with 194 points this season while shooting 52.9 percent from the floor and 86 percent from the free-throw line in clutch situations with less than five minutes on the clock in the fourth quarter or overtime. He placed first with 72 clutch field goals and fourth with 5.0 clutch points per game.

Other finalists for the award are Chicago Bulls’ Demar DeRozan and Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler.

NBA

2023-04-18 23:09

The 2022-23 #KiaClutch is… De’Aaron Fox! #NBAAwards https://t.co/bwmrAk9PA1

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“Obviously, you’re not going to make every shot, but my teammates and my coaches, they put me in a position to succeed, so the least I can do is have confidence in myself to go take big shots,” said Fox.

He is currently the league’s No. 2 in fourth-quarter scoring this season with an average of 8.3 points, right behind Dallas Mavericks’ Kyrie Irving with 9.8 points. Fox placed sixth among all players and second among guards in fourth-quarter field-goal percentage (.515).

NBA on TNT

2023-04-18 23:02

.@swipathefox is the 2022-23 #KiaClutch Player of the Year! 🔥 https://t.co/rlvQ0Agtyo

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Fox’s critical role in Sacramento

Fox secured his first All-Star appearance and played a key role in helping the Kings secure third place in the Western Conference this season, behind the Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies. This is also the first time Sacramento has reached the NBA playoffs since 2006.

The Kings are currently leading 2-0 in their best-of-seven first-round series against the Golden State Warriors. The 25-year-old Fox is averaging 31 points in these two playoff games so far and finished with 24 points, nine assists, five rebounds and four steals in Game 2.