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Monk scores 31 points in Kings' victory over Grizzlies: Key takeaways

BOX SCORE

SACRAMENTO – Malik Monk scored 11 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter, De’Aaron Fox overcame an injury scare in the final minutes and the Kings held on to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 138-133 on Friday night.

Money Malik pic.twitter.com/FFcWhhvahN

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) January 4, 2025

Fox had 21 points and five assists to help the Kings (16-19) win their third consecutive game under interim coach Doug Christie. DeMar DeRozan scored 29 points while Domantas Sabonis had his 30th double-double of the 2024-25 NBA season with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Trey Lyles added 16 points, and Keon Ellis scored 13.

As good as the victory felt, fans at Golden 1 Center held their breath after Fox absorbed a hard foul driving in for what would have been a thunderous one-handed dunk with 44 seconds remaining. Sacramento’s star point guard stayed down for several anxious moments and was limping as he got up, but remained in the game to help Sacramento seal the deal.

Doug Christie checks on De’Aaron Fox after the Kings star took a hard hit near the basket pic.twitter.com/0OzyYMz9va

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) January 4, 2025

Fox has scored 20 or more in nine consecutive games. Friday’s performance was his 30th such game of the season, and second-most in the NBA.

Lyles got the Kings going early from deep and made all four 3-point shots that he took, scoring 14 points in the first half as Sacramento took a 78-72 lead into halftime. That came after a monster first quarter when the Kings led by 14.

Things got chippy early in the fourth quarter when Fox clubbed Scotty Pippen Jr. in the head. Players from both teams began chirping at one another, and Monk and a few players from the Grizzlies had to be separated. Moments later, Fox was hit with a Flagrant 1 foul

Here are the takeaways from Friday’s game:

Devin Carter's Debut

The Kings' first-round draft pick finally made his much-anticipated NBA debut after spending months healing from shoulder surgery in the summer. Devin Carter received a loud, rousing ovation when he checked in with about 4 minutes left in the first quarter.

What a moment for @kingcarter2225 pic.twitter.com/UNKu0lraxC

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) January 4, 2025

The rookie didn’t score, but, as projected, he injected some life into Sacramento’s defense. At one point, Carter helped force a turnover then 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 slip, but kept his balance and did a 360-degree spin before dishing to Lyles for an open 3-pointer.

Setting The Tone

The Kings came out rolling on offense and dropped a whopping 46 points in the first quarter. It’s the most points that Sacramento has scored in the opening 12 minutes this season and the second-most they’ve had in any quarter this season.

A large chunk of the points came from distance as the Kings connected on 10 of 18 shot attempts behind the arc. The 10 made 3-pointers is tied for the third-most in franchise history.

How ‘bout them 3s pic.twitter.com/QL1Scezs9n

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) January 4, 2025

Fouling The Three … Again

The Kings have slipped into a bad mode of fouling opponents taking 3-point shots. They did it early against the Grizzlies, the fifth time in the last three games that Sacramento has made the bad play.

Former Kings coach Mike Brown was very critical of Sacramento's players for those kind of mistakes. It was a similar gaffe by Fox in the final seconds against the Detroit Pistons on Dec. 26 that Brown was highly critical of, which may have factored in the team’s decision to fire him.

It isn’t so much coaching as it is fundamentals, an issue that this season’s version of the Kings has had a tough time handling.

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