SACRAMENTO – In the biggest game of his NBA career, Keon Ellis grabbed the world's attention with his all-around dominance and kept the Kings' playoff hopes alive.
It was a dazzling light inside Golden 1 Center on Tuesday night as the No. 9 seed Kings took on the No. 10 seed Golden State Warriors in a do-or-die NBA Play-In Tournament game. But Ellis, who had just played in the G League as a two-way player with the Stockton Kings three months earlier, wasn't afraid of the moment.
“Honestly, we just treated it like any other game,” Ellis said on NBC Sports California's “Kings Postgame Live” after Sacramento's 118-94 win. “Just trying to lock in to the game plan. I know Stephen Curry is there, Klay. [Thompson], they have great shooters on their team. I can't leave them alone.
“So tonight I'm just trying to pay close attention to the details and give my team the best chance to win.”
He kept his promise. In his first NBA postseason experience, Ellis gave a master class.
The 24-year-old finished the game with 15 points, four rebounds, five assists and three steals on 5-of-8 field goals (62.5 percent) and 3-of-4 three-pointers (75 percent). finished. 3 blocks. He also posted a plus/minus rating of +20 in just under 39 minutes.
Before Tuesday's win-or-go-home battle, the Kings and Warriors had met four times in the 2023-24 NBA regular season and 13 times since last April, including in the first round of last season's playoff series. It also included seven rounds of matches.
Sacramento's newfound and sustained success has intensified the rivalry between the Northern California neighbors, and the two are no strangers to each other.
When it became known that the Kings and Warriors would have to play each other, players from both teams had similar reactions. My eyes turn. Shrug. Laughter of disbelief. “Of course,” a sigh exclaims.
But while there was much that was familiar, there was also much that was new to both parties. For the Warriors, the up-and-coming rookie duo of Brandin Podzemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis were part of coach Steve Kerr's rotation.
For the Kings?
“Keion Ellis. I don't know if he was on the scouting report for those four games,” Kerr said the day before the game. “Right now he's a starter and a great player.”
After Tuesday's performance, coaches around the league may want to include Ellis in their scouting reports.
“Keown, he was great for us,” Kings star guard De'Aaron Fox said after the game. “Even in his spot a few minutes before he earned the starting spot. Everyone has seen his growth right in front of their eyes and he's not afraid of the moment. I'm not afraid of the moment at all. I couldn't imagine playing against him or Herb Jones on the same team in college. It would feel bad for whoever they're guarding.
“But no, he stepped up to the plate. He's ready. And I'm glad people see that.”
People may just be paying attention to the Keon Ellis Show, but this is nothing new to the people of Sacramento.
Since being introduced as a starter on March 1, Ellis' impact has been almost immediate. He improved the team's defense and became more comfortable on the other side of the floor.
“Keion Ellis, his confidence and what he brings to this team is unbelievable for a young player who was a two-way back in February. It's unbelievable,” Kings coach Mike Brown said after the game. Told. “It's a lot of fun to watch. He shows he can go out there night in and night out and help us get it done on both sides of the floor.
“And you could see him getting a little bit more comfortable with each game. He's starting to attack the basket and make plays, not just a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer. And especially It's been a lot of fun to be a part of watching him grow in such a short period of time and as quickly as he has.”
With Malik Monk and Kevin Huerter out Tuesday night, Ellis and Keegan Murray helped Foxx and Domantas Sabonis keep their season alive.
They will now head to New Orleans to take on the Pelicans for the No. 8 final spot in the playoffs, where Ellis will continue to play a key role in their bid to advance to the first round of the playoff series.
The good thing is that the team has a lot of faith in him, even if the love from Monk is a little tough.
“My coaches trust me to make shots when I'm open,” Ellis said on Kings Postgame Live. “Domus is telling me to shoot. Fox is the same thing. Malik is probably the biggest one. If I go out and mess up, he'll berate me and give me a little name-calling. And if… If I'm doing good, he'll say I'm doing good, but I need to do better. Definitely a big shout out to Malik, he's the best I've been during the season. They listened and told me what I needed to improve on and what I was doing well.
“But now that I'm out there, feeling more comfortable, understanding the flow of the game and getting more minutes, I think it's more like that.” So it's all coming together. There is no doubt that it will be. But it definitely has a lot to do with our team and the confidence they gave me. ”
If this is your first time, welcome to Ellis Island. The show has just begun, so enjoy your stay.
