Fox encourages Huerter with NSFW reminder about 3-point contest

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Kings sharpshooter Kevin Huerter struggled in his 3-point contest debut during NBA All-Star Weekend, but De'Aaron Fox had some perfect words of encouragement for his teammate.

Fox made his first All-Star Game appearance in Salt Lake City on Sunday night, and after the game he was asked about Huerter's eight-point performance and subsequent first-round elimination the night before.

"... For us, it is what it is," Fox told reporters at Vivint Arena (h/t FOX40's Sean Cunningham). "Kev's more of a jump shooter rather than a spot-up shooter. I think those type of shots really aren't built for 3-point contests, but I think if he did it again, he would do a much better job than he did this time.

"At the end of the day, I think he's disappointed in himself. We [the Kings] don't really give a f--k. We want you to make shots in the game, and he's shooting almost 40 percent so we want to keep [that] going."

Huerter wasn't pleased with his performance but was grateful for the experience, as evidenced by his tweet after the contest.

But even though he didn't turn heads during the 3-point shootout, he has done so in Sacramento all season long after arriving via trade from the Atlanta Hawks this past offseason. The 24-year-old is one of many reasons the No. 3-seeded Kings are on track to make their first NBA playoff appearance in 16 seasons, shooting 39.2 percent from 3 -point range while averaging 14.9 points per game.

So, no, Huerter didn't take home the 3-point trophy -- that reward ultimately went to Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard.

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But as Fox said, fun and games don't matter to the Kings. They just need Huerter to keep doing what he does on the court across their last 25 regular-season games.

And then in the playoffs, too.

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