Malik Monk is averaging 15.4 points and 5.1 assists, both career highs for the seventh-year guard out of Kentucky.
The Sacramento Kings lost another key player to an injury for the rest of the regular season with star sixth man Malik Monk out at least four weeks with a knee injury.
The Kings said Saturday that Monk has a sprained MCL in his right knee and will be re-evaluated in four weeks.
Monk suffered the injury in the Kings’ 107-103 loss to the Mavericks on Friday. Luka Doncic crashed into Monk’s right knee after a drive in the first half. Monk left the game and did not return.
Malik Monk went to the Kings' locker room after this collision with Luka Dončić pic.twitter.com/24JzYM4bk5
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) March 30, 2024
Sacramento entered the day in eighth place in the Western Conference standings and is trying to make it to the top six and avoid the SoFi Play-In Tournament. The Play-In starts on April 16 and the first round on April 20.
The Kings are already without guard Kevin Huerter, who will likely miss the rest of the season with a left shoulder injury.
Monk’s impact: Monk has been a key piece for the Kings and is one of the frontrunners for Kia NBA Sixth Man of the Year. The seventh-year guard is averaging career highs of 15.4 points and 5.1 assists in 26.0 minutes per game, while shooting 44.3% from the field, including 35.0% from 3-point land. Monk leads all players in the NBA in points (1,110) and assists (370) off the bench.
What it means for the Kings: Sacramento currently sits 8th in the Western Conference, a half-game behind the Suns and two games behind the Mavericks and the Play-In line. The Monk news also comes a day after Sacramento announced that Kevin Huerter would have season-ending shoulder surgery.
Huerter will undergo left shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum that he sustained on March 18 after taking contact from Memphis’ Desmond Bane on a drive to the basket. He dislocated his left shoulder on the play and had missed the last five games.
The 25-year-old has been averaging 10.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists this season, and has started 59 games.
Coach Mike Brown left open the possibility that Huerter might return in time if the Kings make a deep playoff run, and said Huerter will remain around the team and stay engaged.
