The Sacramento Kings have exceeded expectations this season and their star Malik Monk is right in the mix behind the team’s success. His 26-point performance yesterday helped the Kings beat the Nuggets 123-117 to help them recover from a blowout loss versus the Clippers. The Kings are currently in fourth position in the West with a 11-7 record .
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Monk’s late-game heroics have been instrumental in the Kings’ success this season. He has scored a total of 72 points in the fourth quarter so far and 35 of them have been in crunch time.
The 25-year-old guard hit a three-pointer with around eight seconds to go against the Warriors and put his team ahead by one point in the recent In-Season Tournament showdown. He was huge in the tremendous 24-point comeback for the Kings. This helped them finish the group stage with four wins and zero losses, securing a Quarter-Final berth against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Malik Monk has score 72 points in 4th quarters this season, 35 clutch points pic.twitter.com/zyjYy3Xg51
— Oh no he didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) December 3, 2023
It is not only Monk who comes up big for the Kings in the fourth quarter, star guard De’Aaron Fox is a clutch maestro too. During the post-game conference after the Nuggets win, Monk addressed how it is a nightmare for defenses to deal with both him and Fox during late-game situations.
He stated, ”They can’t stop both of us. That’s all it is. They can’t stop both of us when we are out there, so it’s like just pick their poison. Sometimes I am on, sometimes he is on. Most of the time he on.”
Malik Monk on tonight’s win over the Nuggets, bouncing back from the loss to the Clippers, the 26 points he scored off the bench and career high 16 assists from De’Aaron Fox. pic.twitter.com/LayGwxKwAI
— Sean Cunningham (@SeanCunningham) December 3, 2023
Monk and Fox are really underrated guards in the league who have shown great chemistry. They combined for a 52 points against the Nuggets, and Fox ended up with 16 assists, which shows how well they work together.
Monk has been one of the top-rated clutch players all season long and his figures are higher than Kings’ leading scorer De’Aaron Fox.
De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk have ice in their veins
Monk has been the fourth-best clutch player in the league so far. He is averaging 5.1 points on an impressive 52% shooting from the field and 44% from the three-point line. He is the only bench player to be in the top-ten list of clutch points. On the flip side, Mr. Fourth Quarter Fox is ranked 35 in the category, averaging 2.8 points on 29% shooting. However, his presence on the court and incredible passing has helped open up opportunities for Monk.
Fox is averaging over 30 points and there is no way defenses can go easy on him. With a fearless shooter like Monk alongside him, he can pose to be an even bigger threat. Having Kevin Huerter and Keegan Murray also constitutes a defensive nightmare. The Kings average almost 15 three-pointers a game and are among the top three-point shooting teams in the league.
Their ability to hit late-game shots has been a major plus during the nervy In-Season Tournament. They overcame the elite Timberwolves, a pesky Warriors, and a resurgent Thunder in a tough group. Fox and Monk have been two key players who have helped them navigate these tricky waters.
