Monk scores season-high 31 points as Kings continue winning streak

Jan 3, 2025, 10:07 PM | Updated: 10:12 pm

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 03: Malik Monk #0 of the Sacramento Kings is guarded by Jaylen Wel...

(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Lead Editor & Kings Beat Writer

During his first press conference as interim head coach of the Sacramento Kings, Doug Christie emphasized the importance of defending home court.

At the time, Sacramento led the NBA in home losses with 12, and a three-game homestand provided the Kings with another opportunity to show they could handle business at Golden 1 Center.

Fast forward to Friday night, and Sacramento has done just that. The Kings used strong closing efforts from Malik Monk and DeMar DeRozan in the fourth quarter to hold off the Memphis Grizzlies and secure a 138-133 win–their third-straight victory.

One week to the day after the stunning decision to fire former NBA Coach of the Year winner Mike Brown, Sacramento (16-19) has responded with a three-game winning streak that has lifted the spirits of a Kings fanbase that is hungry for winning basketball.

KING 👑 https://t.co/1ZfDdE3Nie pic.twitter.com/Xgx10sHTyO

— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) January 4, 2025

Kings vs. Grizzlies recap & takeaways

If you love three-point shooting, the first quarter was just for you.

Sacramento had been struggling from deep as of late, failing to shoot over 30 percent during Wednesday’s win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Friday was a different story, as the Kings caught fire to start the night 10-of-18 (55%) from long distance.

The Grizzlies’ seven-of-11 (63%) kept Sacramento from blowing things open early, but hot starts from Malik Monk (10 points) and Trey Lyles (11 points) in the opening period put the Kings in the driver’s seat thanks to a 46-point quarter (the second-most points scored in a single period this season).

Following a strong showing against the 76ers that included four converted three-pointers, Lyles continued his marksmanship in this one by knocking down all four of his attempts from deep during the first half (the first time in his ten-year career that he has made four triples in back-to-back games).

Four Sacramento players finished the first half in double-figures, with Lyles (14 points) and Monk (17 points) leading the way, but the Kings allowed a 14-point lead drop to 78-72 heading into the break in what was shaping up to be a high-scoring shootout.

Sacramento finished the first half 14-of-29 (48%) from beyond the arc during the first half, tying a season-high.

nothing but 🧈 pic.twitter.com/Yy0JSsdLVf

— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) January 4, 2025

The Kings picked up the pace to begin the third quarter by mounting a 9-0 run to begin the period, but local product Jaylen Wells would put Memphis on his back to keep the Grizzlies within reach.

Wells, a Folsom High School alumni, scored 11 points in the third to help erase a 15-point as an ice-cold Sacramento offense (one-of-11 from three in the third quarter) lead as the Kings would take a slim 102-100 lead into the fourth.

On a night that saw De’Aaron Fox go ice cold from the field, his college teammate would step up to pick up the slack in a big way.

Malik Monk took over in the fourth quarter, scoring 11 of his season-high 31 points to lead a Sacramento offense that went 55 percent from the field in the final period to create enough separation from Memphis down the closing stretch.

“One thing I know about him is he’s not going to shrink in the moment,” Christie said of Monk’s closing effort. “And I think his teammates feel that as well.”

Fox was not himself on Friday, finishing the game seven-of-23 from the field (one-of-eight from deep), but Monk and DeRozan (29 points on a season-high four-of-seven from three-point range) were the driving forces behind a 36-point fourth quarter that clinched another win for the Beam Team.

It’s not often you see Fox struggle in this fashion, but when he does, Sacramento rarely has been able to withstand the lack of scoring from their star guard. This time, though, the Kings benefited from a group effort to have Fox’s back.

when it’s clutch time, Deebo delivers.

Vote DeRozan for NBA All-Star 🗳️ https://t.co/3gAJgUssEA pic.twitter.com/QgjBSab6Cw

— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) January 4, 2025

Domantas Sabonis (17 points on three-of-six from deep), Keon Ellis (13 points on two-of-five from deep), and Lyles (16 points on four-of-six from downtown) rounded out the offense on a night that saw Sacramento drill 21 triples–the second-most they have hit in a game this season.

The Kings’ 37 assists fell two short of their season-high of 39 as four players finished the night with five or more dimes.

Defense, specifically perimeter defense, continued to be an issue for Sacramento (Memphis finished the night 17-of-37 from beyond the arc), but at this point, Sacramento will take wins however they can.

Things got chippy in the final moments as De’Aaron Fox took a nasty fall on his way to the basket, making contact with Jaren Jackson Jr. on his ascent. Fox hit the ground hard, landing on his hip, causing both teams to exchange words as Jackson was hit with his sixth and final foul (all six fouls took place in the second half).

Fox went on to finish the game, and the media will get an update on the guard’s status during Saturday’s practice.

Multiple heated incidents transpired between the Kings and Grizzlies, which injected even more life into Golden 1 Center. A big night from the Sacramento offense, paired with timely plays from Monk and DeRozan in crunch time, only added to that feeling of momentum.

There’s no denying this new-look Kings team is playing with some juice. A matchup in San Francisco against the Golden State Warriors on Sunday will give this team another chance to prove that they have put a rough start to the season behind them.

Welcome To The Show

Eyes and ears perked up around Sacramento on Friday morning when the news broke that Kings rookie Devin Carter would be making his NBA debut against the Grizzlies.

Carter, the 13th overall pick from June’s NBA Draft, has been recovering from surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. Following two tune-up games with G-League affiliate Stockton, including a strong performance on Thursday night, it appeared that Carter was still a few days away from making his debut. However, the Providence product took the floor against Memphis in what was his second game action in as many days.

Over just ten minutes of action, Carter pulled down six boards–only trailing Domantas Sabonis (1o) for the team lead–to go along with two blocked shots and one steal.

While he may not have scored his first NBA points, Carter’s 6’9 wingspan was evident as the guard made his presence known on the defensive end, which is the type of versatility that Sacramento has lacked this season.

Carter will get more playing time as he gets acclimated, and it will be interesting to see how much of an impact he can make the rest of the way.

a warm welcome to the 916 for @kingcarter2225 👑 pic.twitter.com/WULCr0uCzo

— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) January 4, 2025

Injury Updates

Keegan Murray (left ankle soreness) has dealt with a lingering ankle issue for most of this season, and the third-year forward was held out of action on Friday night. Murray, who has missed consecutive games, is considered day-to-day.

When is the next Sacramento Kings game?

Sacramento will head to San Francisco on Sunday afternoon for their first matchup of the season against the Golden State Warriors.

The Kings and Warriors split last season’s four-game head-to-head series, with Sacramento taking the final two games. These two Northern California foes will face off twice in January–Sunday at Chase Center and January 21st at Golden 1 Center.

Be sure to catch all of the Kings vs. Warriors drama right here on Sactown Sports 1140 AM, with pregame coverage starting at 4:00 PM PT on Game Night before action tips off at 5:30 PM PT from downtown Sacramento.