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De’Aaron Fox finds rhythm as Kentucky knocks off Georgia

Valparaiso v Kentucky

LEXINGTON, KY - DECEMBER 07: De’Aaron Fox #0 of the Kentucky Wildcats dribbles the ball during the game against the Valparaiso Crusaders at Rupp Arena on December 7, 2016 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

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Kentucky has had their issues with Georgia this season.

The Bulldogs took Kentucky to overtime in Rupp Arena, succumbing to one of the many insane second half performances that Malik Monk has put together this season. A month later, in Athens, Kentucky survived Georgia thanks, in part, to the fact that Bulldog star Yante Maten injured his knee 90 seconds into the game.

So if I were to tell you that Maten returned to the Georgia lineup for the SEC tournament and Kentucky got a 1-for-7 performance out of Monk, you might be mildly surprised to hear that Kentucky won the game by double-figures in a game where Georgia never really challenged, the 71-60 final scored making the game look more competitive than it was.

Perhaps the best news for Kentucky fans is that De’Aaron Fox looked like himself on Friday. Fox has been mired in a bit of a slump over the course of the last month, as he worked his way through knee and ankle injuries and a virus that kept him out of a game. On Friday, Fox finished with 20 points and four assists, shooting 7-for-12 from the floor and playing a role in keeping Georgia’s star guard J.J. Frazier from getting into a rhythm.

Isaiah Briscoe played well -- 20 points and six boards -- and Bam Adebayo posted another double-double, but the key to Kentucky is March is Fox. We know what Monk can do when he gets rolling, but Kentucky needs help on the nights where, like Friday, he goes 1-for-7 from the floor and finished with more fouls (three) and as many turnovers (two) as he has points.