The Sacramento Kings are preparing for a crucial NBA Play-In Tournament matchup against the Golden State Warriors. The winner of Tuesday night’s 9-10 seed game will get a chance to play another contest for a secured playoff spot. However, Sacramento will miss the services of Malik Monk due to his lingering knee injury.

Malik Monk gets untimely injury status update for Kings-Warriors game

Head Coach Mike Brown told reporters there is no chance Monk will play on Tuesday, per James Ham. Monk suffered a sprained right MCL in late March, which sidelined him for the rest of the regular season. Hopefully, he undergoes an efficient recovery process as his team prepares for the postseason.

Monk averaged 15.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, and shot 35% on three-pointers through 72 games in 2023-24. He may not able be able to help the Kings on the floor, but he will make an unprecedented impact on the bench.

Head Coach Mike Brown holds Monk in high regard due to his attractive demeanor. He glowed when speaking about Monk’s charisma ahead of the Kings play-in matchup.

“Malik is one of the most charismatic guys I’ve been around. It’s infectious, you know? I mean, really great, great human being. You know, his charisma makes you want to be around him,” Brown said.

Brown noted Monk as a vocal leader who is a supportive presence.

“And so with his charisma and how vocal he is, you want that presence around as much as possible. And you know, to his credit he’s been there. He comes to our film sessions, comes to our practices. Obviously, he’s active on the bench, and we encourage that.”

Malik Monk’s injury prevents him from supplying the Kings with a steady dose of offense. Nevertheless, his voice makes him one of the most valauble players on the team.

“He may not be a quote-unquote captain, but he is one of our leaders in that regard because he’s not afraid to speak up…And he has the respect of everybody on the team and the coaching staff.”

Monk’s presence on the sidline will be important to for the Kings’ morale against the Warriors.

Kings want their beam to keep shining 

In 2023, Sacramento made the playoffs for the first time since 2006. They hold the ninth seed in 2024, and therefore will have to battle get a secure spot. Their matchup against Golden State will not be easy but they have everything neccsary to be succesful.

The Kings’ star power starts with De’Aron Fox. Fox amassed a career-high 26.6 points along with 5.6 assists, and 4.6 rebounds through 74 regular season games in 2023-24. In addition, he totaled 2.0 steals per contest, which led the NBA. Fox will look to play hounding defense on Stephen Curry and use his three-level scoring ablity to his advantage.

Meanwhile, Domantas Sabonis completes Sacramento’s fierce attack. The 27-year-old averaged 19.4 points, a league-leading 13.7 rebounds, and a career-high 8.2 rebounds per game. Sabonis was among the few players who played all 82 regular season games. Moreover, he amassed the most triple-doubles in the NBA with 26. Sabonis’ production has him in the conversation for his first All-NBA honor.

Like Fox, Sabonis will enter Tuesday night’s game a with fire to avenge his team’s early 2023 playoff exit.

All in all, the Kings are facing a win-or-go-home situation. Can they pull through in their first posteason matchup?