Kings’ Malik Monk suffers sprained MCL in right knee vs. Mavericks: Source

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — It was a painful Friday night for the Sacramento Kings. In the first half of their consequential 107-103 home loss to the Dallas Mavericks, Luka Dončić tumbled after a drive and fell onto the right knee of Malik Monk. Monk left the game, didn’t return and was diagnosed with a sprained MCL on Saturday, a team source confirmed.

Monk is expected to miss four to six weeks with the injury, ESPN reported. He was in the locker room postgame in decent spirits but some obvious pain. He left the arena without crutches but a substantial limp.

This is just the latest blow to a Kings rotation that is already thinning. Starting shooting guard Kevin Huerter will miss the rest of the season after suffering a labral tear earlier this month. Trey Lyles, a vital bench piece, has missed the last few weeks with an MCL sprain.

Malik Monk went to the Kings' locker room after this collision with Luka Dončić pic.twitter.com/24JzYM4bk5

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) March 30, 2024

But Monk’s absence could hit hardest. He has been the league’s most productive bench player this season, leading all NBA reserves in points and assists. He’s the Kings third-best playmaker and often their crunchtime scorer, closing on most nights.

Without him, second-year guard Keon Ellis will continue to see increased minutes and responsibility. He’s been starting for Huerter and closed against the Mavericks on Friday night.

Davion Mitchell and Kessler Edwards also saw an uptick in minutes with Monk out. Chris Duarte is another possible replacement. So is Sasha Vezenkov, who appears on the verge of a return from his own ankle injury.

Without Monk, the Kings still had a prime chance to beat the Mavericks on Friday. They led by double-digits in the second half, but gave up a 34-21 fourth quarter to give away a win. They missed Monk’s creation in the closing minutes.

The Kings could’ve leaped into the sixth seed in the Western Conference with a win. It would’ve tied them with the Mavericks in the standings and given them the tiebreaker. But they instead dropped to eighth, a half-game behind the Phoenix Suns and two games back from a Mavericks team with the tiebreaker still unsettled. They are 1 1/2 games up on the Los Angeles Lakers but swept them 4-0 for the tiebreaker.

Sacramento plays again at home on Sunday and Tuesday against the Utah Jazz and LA Clippers before a difficult trip out East.

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(Photo: Sergio Estrada / USA Today)