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The Sacramento Kings are playing the Detroit Pistons on the road Monday night, as Doug Christie's team looks to strengthen their chances of clinching a berth in the NBA Play-in Tournament.
However, they absorbed a blow mid-game when shooting guard Malik Monk was ruled out for the rest of the contest with an apparent lower-body issue, according to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee.
“Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk will not return to tonight's game vs. the Detroit Pistons due to a left calf injury,” Anderson shared in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
The former Kentucky Wildcats star logged in just six minutes of action on the floor and off the bench against the Pistons before getting sidelined for the remainder of the tilt with just two points on 1-for-3 shooting from the field, and assists and a turnover.
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The Detroit game was Monk's seventh since missing three consecutive games in March due to an illness. In six games before the date with the Pistons, Monk averaged 11.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists while shooting just 36.9 percent from the field and 31.0 percent from behind the arc. Through 64 games this season, Monk has averaged 17.4 points, 5.6 assists and 3.8 rebounds while posting a 43.9 field goal percentage and a 51.3 effective field goal percentage.
It remains to be seen whether Monk will need to miss at least a game to deal with his leg issue. Apart from Monk, other Sacramento players dealing with injuries are forwards Keegan Murray (back) and Jake LaRavia (fractured thumb). The likes of Keon Ellis and Devin Carter could see increased playing time if Monk would need to get sidelined in the coming games.
The Kings are amidst a tight battle for a play-in spot in the Western Conference. They entered Monday ninth in the standings in the West with a 38-40 record — half a game in front of the Dallas Mavericks, who are at the No. 10 spot, and three games ahead of the Phoenix Suns, who are 11th.
Monk can be considered questionable at the moment for the Kings' next assignment, which will be a matchup against the Denver Nuggets in Sacramento on Wednesday — the first leg of a three-game homestand to finish their schedule in the 2024-25 NBA regular season.
