De’Aaron Fox knew this night was coming, and had given it some thought.

“For me,” Fox said late Friday night while sitting in the cramped visiting press conference room inside Golden 1 Center for the first time, “it was rather, are we going to come here on a winning streak or a losing streak?”

In classic Fox fashion, the former face of the Sacramento Kings downplayed one of the biggest regular-season games in recent memory. It was Fox’s first visit to Sacramento since getting traded to the San Antonio Spurs in early February, capping a tumultuous exit that split opinions within the Kings’ avid and vocal fan base.

The night ended with the giant purple beam lit atop the downtown arena, the symbol that Fox and the Spurs lost in his return, 127-109. Fox’s counterpart in the blockbuster trade, Zach LaVine, scored a game-high 36 points while going 7-of-11 from 3-point range.

Some fans back Fox in the drama, pointing to Kings ownership that’s made the playoffs once since Vivek Ranadivé bought the team in 2013. Others back the team, blaming Fox for a lack of loyalty while he pushed his way to a team lower in the standings.

“I spoke my piece,” Fox said when asked about the narratives surrounding his Sacramento exit, “and I’m not really worried about anything else.”

Predictably, multiple reports from national outlets about Fox’s departure published Friday morning ahead of the reunion. ESPN detailed how coach Mike Brown’s firing in December, affected Fox, especially after Fox made it be known he didn’t want to play for another coach.Another, from The Athletic, asked about the role of Anjali Ranadivé, daughter of the owner, and her influence within the organization and whether the team’s front office was trusted to make the biggest decisions, including those involving the future of the head coach.

Fox wasn’t interested in addressing the past after an underwhelming performance in his return Friday night. He struggled, making just 6-of-17 and going 0-of-6 from distance. The Spurs were outscored by 19 points in his 33 minutes, and there were a few moments that brought particular joy to the home crowd, including when Keon Ellis blocked his shot midway through the first quarter.

“I haven’t made a shot in two weeks, man,” Fox said.

From boos to cheers >> Fox was booed every time he touched the ball during the game. But midway through the first quarter during a timeout, he was given a standing ovation by a vast majority of fans after the team showed a tribute video on the arena video screen. Fox stood up from the visiting bench, waved to the crowd and put a towel in his mouth, seemingly to avoid showing emotion.

Fox was asked if there were any particular interactions Friday that stood out.

“Just being able to interact with fans, some media members, some of our ushers. Like, I’ve always done stuff around Christmas for the ushers,” Fox said. “So I wouldn’t say one sticks out, just all of it together. Definitely was a warm welcome, for sure.”

He shared laughs with DeMar DeRozan, did his signature hand shake with Keegan Murray, had a friendly looking conversation with longtime friend Malik Monk and shared hugs with countless others.

“I couldn’t imagine how many emotions were running through his head playing in this game,” Spurs guard Stephon Castle said. “I feel like he handled it well. ... Just his demeanor, the way he was still connected with us, not really playing selfish in any way. Just continuing to stay aggressive. I feel like he handled that pretty well.”

A bit of news surfaced from an otherwise tame and uneventful news conference. Fox said he could have surgery on his left pinkie finger he injured during Kings’ training camp when the Spurs visit Los Angeles to play the Lakers March 17.

It would be another step toward San Antonio punting on its chances at reaching the play-in after star big man Victor Wembanyama was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis, ending his season after 46 games. Wembanyama was on the Spurs bench and the team expects he’ll recover and return to action next fall.

Spurs falter, Kings rise >> The Spurs fell to 5-10 since the trade and have the third-worst record in the West, 26-35. They’re 4.5 games out of 10th place while the Kings have surged since the All-Star break. Sacramento is 5-2, and LaVine is coming off being named the Western Conference Player of the Week.

LaVine of late has been one of the most potent scorers in the NBA. In his last six games including Friday, he shot 28-of-45 from 3, a 62% clip. Fox has made just 19 of 78 in his 14 games, a lowly 24%.

Yet even after the win, the Kings remain in ninth place before next taking on the Los Angeles Clippers on the road on Sunday.

The result Friday was emblematic of differing paths between the two franchises. The Spurs, with five championships since 1999, are taking a measured approach toward their future, with a chance to accumulate more young players this offseason to build toward contending. The Spurs entered the season as the third-youngest team in the NBA.

“De’Aaron is an elite player. And so our young guys are trying to expedite their acumen, their experience, their wisdom, their capabilities, as much as possible,” said Spurs interim coach Mitch Johnson. “I think it’s great. The more that those guys talk to people like that, it just gives them insight into how much goes into this thing.”

(Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, 76, suffered a stroke in November and announced last month that he won’t return this season.)

The Kings are built around LaVine, who turns 30 this month, and DeRozan, who will be 36 in August. They’re hoping to get Sacramento to the playoffs for just the second time since 2006.

In the big picture, the Kings and Spurs are going opposite directions. But for at least a few hours, their paths intersected late Friday night. Fox had made post-game plans with Murray, a friend turned rival.

“We’re about to go get dinner,” Fox said. “I love Keegan. We still talk all the time.”