What we learned when Monk scored 31 in Kings win vs. Grizzlies originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
BOX SCORE
SACRAMENTO – Malik Monk scored 11 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter, De’Aaron Fox overcame an injury in the final minutes and the Kings held on to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 138-133 on Friday night.
Fox had 21 points and five assists to help the Kings (16-19) win their third straight game under interim coach Doug Christie. DeMar DeRozan scored 29 points, while Domantas Sabonis had his 30 pointse double-double of the 2024-2025 NBA season with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Trey Lyles added 16 points and Keon Ellis scored 13.
As good as the win felt, Golden 1 Center fans held their breath after Fox absorbed a hard foul as he drove in for what would have been a thunderous one-handed dunk with 44 seconds left. Sacramento’s star point guard lay down for several anxious moments and limped when he got up, but stayed in the game to help Sacramento close the deal.
Fox scored 20 or more in nine straight games. Friday’s performance was his 30the such a game of the season, and the second most in the NBA.
Lyles got the Kings going early from deep and made all four three-point shots he made, scoring 14 points in the first half as Sacramento took a 78-72 lead into halftime. That came after a monstrous first quarter when the Kings led by 14.
Things got dicey early in the fourth quarter when Fox’s Scotty Pippen Jr. hit him in the head. Players from both teams started whistling at each other, and Monk and a few Grizzlies players had to be separated. Moments later, Fox was hit with a Flagrant 1 foul
These are the conclusions from Friday’s match:
Devin Carter’s debut
The Kings’ first-round draft pick finally made his long-awaited NBA debut after spending months recovering from shoulder surgery over the summer. Devin Carter received a loud, rousing ovation when he checked in with about four minutes left in the first quarter.
The rookie didn’t score, but as expected, he brought some life to Sacramento’s defense. At one point, Carter helped force a turnover and fed Lyles for a breakaway dunk. He finished with five rebounds and two assists.
The kid also showed some poise when he brought the ball up court in the first half and appeared to slide, but he kept his balance and made a 360-degree turn before dishing to Lyles for an open three-pointer.
Set the tone
The Kings came out on the offensive, dropping a whopping 46 points in the first quarter. It’s the most points Sacramento has scored in the first 12 minutes this season and the second-most points they’ve scored in any quarter this season.
A majority of the points came from distance as the Kings connected on 10 of 18 shot attempts from behind the arc. The 10 3-pointers made ranks third in franchise history.
The three foul… Again
The Kings have fallen into a bad position to offend opponents by making three-point shots. They did it early against the Grizzlies, the fifth time in the last three games that Sacramento has played poorly.
Former Kings coach Mike Brown was highly critical of Sacramento’s players for mistakes like this. It was a similar blunder by Fox in the final seconds against the Detroit Pistons on December 26 that Brown was highly critical of, which may have played a role in the team’s decision to fire him.
It’s not so much about coaching as it is about fundamentals, an issue the Kings’ version has struggled with this season.
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