Dallas Mavericks star Luka Dončić came into Saturday's game against the Kings red-hot, having scored a historic 73 points against the Atlanta Hawks the night before.
But Keegan Murray certainly wasn't going to let him do it again, rising to the occasion with the toughest assignment of the game in guarding Dončić as the Kings secured a 120-115 victory. The Mavericks guard scored less than 30 points for the first time since Jan. 1, shooting 9 of 26 from the field with Murray guarding him for most of the game.
"It's exciting, just to be able to have that challenge and have that goal," Murray told reporters at American Airlines Center. "[De'Aaron] Fox was joking to me, 'Just don't let him put 70 on your head tonight.' So, it was my goal to keep him under 70 and I think we did that well."
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Murray finished the game with 15 points, four rebounds, two assists and three blocks -- including one of Dončić that had him so flustered he was hit with a technical foul in the aftermath.
NBA
Sacramento's defense -- a point of emphasis for the team dating back to last season -- was at its best against Dallas. And the Kings' latest victory came on the heels of a one-point win over the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night where Murray again was responsible for guarding the best player on the court in Steph Curry.
While the two greats have their differences, Murray had a common approach to both NBA stars.
"Just trying to stay locked in as much as possible, on both of them, it just kind of my goal," Murray told reporters.
Kings coach Mike Brown has noticed Murray's defensive effort over the Kings' last two wins.
"Keegan, he continues to be tasked with the toughest assignment game in and game out, and I thought he did a really godd job trying to make Luka work for his points tonight," Brown told reporters after the game. "Luka's a heck of a player -- 17 assists with a triple-double, but Keegan, I thought, tried hard making him work, so heck of a game by him."
The Kings are two games into their longest road trip of the season, with five contest to go before they return home to Golden 1 Center. And the way things are going, it could end up being a very good road trip for Murray and the rest of Sacramento.