Sacramento Kings' Malik Monk out of action for few weeks due to injury

Malik Monk, the NBA Sixth Man of the Year ladder leader, was recently sidelined with an injury sustained on Friday against the Dallas Mavericks. After spraining his right MCL, the Sacramento Kings suffered a terrible blow by losing one of their key players just before the 2024 NBA playoffs.

As only nine games are left in this season, the Sacramento Kings have a play-in spot in the Western Conference. While they still have their best players, De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, losing their sixth man might hurt their next nine games.

The incident took place on March 29, as the Sacramento Kings suffered a 107-103 loss at the Dallas Mavericks. During the first quarter, Monk clashed with Luka Doncic while attempting to block his shot. Doncic tumbled on the Kings' guard and sprained his right MCL. However, he didn’t return to the game.

The play-in scenario looks difficult for the Sacramento Kings

According to reports, Malik Monk is out of action for at least 4-6 weeks. Monk would obviously be out for the Play-In Tournament, and with the earliest he can supposedly return being May 1, he'll most likely be out for the first round of the playoffs as well, should the Kings advance that far.

Monk's injury occurred only one day after Kings guard Kevin Huerter was ruled out for the remainder of the season due to a broken labrum in his left shoulder. Huerter, who was injured earlier this month, is expected to recover by the start of next season.

Malik Monk averages a career-high 15.4 points and 5.1 assists per game. His career-best stats are complemented by 2.9 rebounds per game and an impressive 44.3% shooting accuracy.

For the Sacramento Kings, chances of qualifying for a play-in spot are difficult as both Malik Monk and Kevin Hunter are not available for the next few games.