Kings' DeMar DeRozan gives Malik Monk his flowers after wild +41 in Warriors clash
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The Sacramento Kings have not been playing their best basketball for most of the season, but they have been trending up as of late — a surprising development in the aftermath of Mike Brown’s firing. On Sunday night, the Kings faced another tough test, this time a clash against the Golden State Warriors while missing arguably their best player in De’Aaron Fox. But in the end, the game was a breeze for the Kings, with Sacramento taking a 129-99 win thanks in large part to the brilliance of Malik Monk.
Monk, who has stuck in the starting lineup ever since getting the promotion to start December, was phenomenal at the controls of the Kings’ offense. He put up 26 points and 12 assists and, perhaps most tellingly, put up an amazing plus-minus of +41 on the night — showing how he made mincemeat of the Warriors’ defense.
After the game, Kings star DeMar DeRozan gave Monk his due commendation for stepping up and putting forth a Fox-like performance to give Sacramento its fourth consecutive victory.
“He was real big. Especially without Foxy. Him coming out, being the point guard, handle the ball for us. Getting downhill. Getting everything kinda going for us. He was the spark for us tonight, especially with him being a plus-41. That was something we needed, and he led the charge. That was big,” DeRozan said in his postgame presser, via Brendan Nunes of Sactown Sports 1140.
Full quote: pic.twitter.com/C5Rj33cDvL
— Brenden Nunes (@BrendenNunesNBA) January 6, 2025
Monk has always seemed to step up for the Kings in an expanded role, and he allows the team to maintain its breakneck identity, as he is relentless in getting to the rim and playing with pace. And there’s no better time for Monk to do this than the present, as they continue their bid to rescue their season and crash the congested playoff picture out West.
Kings win fourth straight thanks to Malik Monk’s huge performance
The Kings have won four straight games, and this is not to be taken lightly. They beat four teams with winning aspirations, beginning with a huge win over the Dallas Mavericks. They then rallied from behind the Philadelphia 76ers after a few crunch-time failures from Philly, and then they kept it rolling with a high-octane victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.
Something seems to be clicking for the Kings, especially after demolishing the Warriors the way they did. And they will look to keep this streak going as they face a Miami Heat team full of tumult tomorrow on the second night of a back-to-back.
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