For most of the offseason and into the regular season, the Sacramento Kings were determined to trade Malik Monk. Then in early January, their tune changed, and the Kings were all in on him. They should be happy with that decision, as his performance against the Clippers led the team.
Last night was a tough loss for the Kings. They hung in there with a Clippers roster looking for a big post-Harden win. Sacramento refused to go away and let Los Angeles pick up an easy victory. The final score was 114 to 111 with the Kings fighting hard all the way until the last seconds of the game.
Unfortunately, that loss drops the Kings to a record of 12 wins and 41 losses. It cements their dubious status as the team with the worst record in the league. Last night also extends their current losing streak to 11, and puts Sacramento in the hunt for the longest NBA losing streak this season.
All of that being said, there were still some incredible performances from the Kings, both as individuals and as a team. Malik Monk in particular put on a show, shooting out the lights from three while also being a floor general for the young guns on the court beside him.
Malik Monk did what Malik Monk does
When both teams were cold from the three-point line, it was Monk who stepped up in a big way. At one point in the game, he was six for six from beyond the arc. Eventually, the heat check failed, and he finished with six of nine for three and six of 13 from the field overall.
Monk finished with two rebounds, two assists, one steal, and a team-high points total of 18. Beyond that, Monk played the part of seasoned veteran and floor general to the rookies and young guns who had the biggest minutes against the Clippers.
What was strange was head coach Doug Christie's choice to bench Monk for a significant portion of the game. After going three for three from deep, Christie took Monk off the court for an extended period of time. Malik ultimately played 22+ minutes, but still should have seen more minutes.
Malik Monk's continued efforts over the past month have proven that the Kings need him on the roster. He works well with the youth movement Sacramento is pushing, acting as an experienced, calming presence on the court. Plus, the guy can shoot.