No surprises in Kings rookie Keegan Murray’s sensational NBA debut

Sacramento, Ca – Saturday night, the Sacramento Kings’ #4 pick Keegan Murray made his NBA debut. He tallied 19 points while knocking down three three-pointers. The rookie came off the bench in his first game against the Los Angeles Clippers, but he played 33 meaningful minutes. Murray was impressive from start to finish, and De’Aaron Fox wasn’t surprised.

“I think that’s going to be a classic Keegan Murray game,” Fox told Sideline Sources. “He does things quietly, but I think the fans feel it in the stadium…He did a hell of a job, and he’s out there guarding one of the best players (Paul George) in the NBA. That’s a tough matchup for anybody. I think he had a great debut, but I wish we capitalized on that and got a win, but we got a game tomorrow.”

Murray Debut Matchup

Fox finished the night with a team-high 36 points, but the Kings fell to the Clippers 111-109. Paul George led the Clippers by scoring 40 points to put the Kings away. But in the final period, Murray got the assignment of guarding George to end the game. The rookie was aggressive and applied pressure that visibly frustrated George at times. Although the rookie did some good things defensively in his debut, it was too late.

“You just try and make it as difficult for him as possible,” Murray said. “He’s a guy that makes tough shots. So more tough shots that I can have him take, the better for our team. I just tried to take the ball away from him and keep him from catching it. Once he got it, just contest, make him earn his buckets.”

In his season debut, Murray revealed he’s more than just a player who can shoot the ball. He displayed that he would compete on both ends of the floor. So when Mike Brown told Murray he was guarding George to close the game, the youngster was confidently ready to accept the challenge.

“I’m a guy that’s not going to back down from anyone,” Murray told Sideline Sources.

The rookies’ NBA debut didn’t end the way the Kings wanted, but Murray’s performance gives the fans hope. But now it’s time to move on to the next opponent, the defending champion Golden State Warriors. It’s a tough back-to-back to start a career, but it’s one Murray is embracing.