NEW YORK (AFP) – Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox was named winner of the inaugural NBA Clutch Player of the Year award on Tuesday
The 25-year-old American received 91 of 100 possible first-place votes from a media panel after being among the nominees by league head coaches.
“It’s definitely going to get added to the memorabilia room,” Fox said.
Fox averaged 25.0 points, 6.1 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.1 steals a game and scored 194 “clutch” points — delivering at least five points in the final five minutes of a contest with a game on the line.
Fox has helped the Kings seize a 2-0 lead over the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors with game three in the best-of-seven first round series set for Thursday in San Francisco.
GREEN SUSPENDED
Meantime, Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green was hit with a one-game suspension on Tuesday after stamping on Sacramento Kings player Domantas Sabonis during the NBA champions’ game two playoff defeat.
The suspension means Green will be ruled out of the Warriors’ game three against the Kings in San Francisco on Thursday.
Green was ejected from Monday’s stormy clash with Sacramento after stomping on Sabonis after the two players tangled following a rebound.
Sabonis grabbed at Green’s ankle immediately before the stamp in an apparent effort to impede the Warriors veteran.
However the NBA said that a suspension against Green was merited given the Warriors star’s history of disciplinary problems.
