Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scores 37 to spoil Malik Monk’s return in Thunder’s win over Kings
The Kings seemed to be missing something over the past two weeks.
They didn’t have the same energy, the same exuberance, the same swagger or the same spark. They didn’t have Malik Monk.
Monk returned Monday night after missing seven games due to a right ankle sprain, but even he couldn’t help the Kings take down one of the top teams in the NBA.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 37 points and 11 assists to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 130-109 victory over the Kings before a sellout crowd of 17,832 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.
Monk was happy to be back, but he wasn’t pleased with the outcome.
“It felt amazing,” Monk said. “It’s been a long time, but we couldn’t get the win.”
DeMar DeRozan had 30 points and six assists for the Kings (8-10), who have lost four in a row and seven of their last 10.
Domantas Sabonis had 21 points and 10 rebounds. Keegan Murray also recorded a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
De’Aaron Fox was held to 14 points on 5-of-14 shooting after averaging 37.7 points after the past six games. Monk came off the bench to score 14 points, going 4 of 12 from the field and 2 of 7 from 3-point range.
Jalen Williams scored 28 points for the Thunder (13-4) as Oklahoma City moved one game ahead of the Golden State Warriors for first place in the Western Conference.
Kings coach Mike Brown made a lineup change, starting Keon Ellis over Kevin Huerter. Ellis had eight points on 3-of-4 shooting with three assists and one steal in 28 minutes. Huerter went scoreless after attempting only two shots in 10 minutes.
The move would have made sense as a matchup-based decision to give the Kings a better option as a primary defender against Gilgeous-Alexander, but that’s not how Brown explained it after the game.
“I just thought it was time for a change, and it’s my job to continue not just searching with lineups and the rotation, but also what we’re doing defensively and what we’re doing offensively, so that’s all it was.”
Monk had not played since going down with the ankle injury in a Nov. 10 win over the Phoenix Suns.
“Obviously, it’s great to have him back to give our team a boost,” Brown said before the game. “He always gives us a boost on both ends of the floor, so to have him back is great.”
Sacramento’s bench was outscored 44-9 in Sunday’s 108-103 loss to the Brooklyn Nets, bringing increased scrutiny to the team’s lack of depth and bench production.
“Malik is a big part of our bench production,” Brown said. “And it’s not just Malik coming in and scoring. His presence on the floor, his ability to play-make — not just for himself but for others, too — and the attention he draws makes the game easier for a lot of guys. So, to have that back will help everybody else in a lot of different categories on the offensive end of the floor.”
Fox expressed similar thoughts when asked about Monk’s return.
“The way he puts the ball in the basket, operates out of the pick-and-roll a lot, another guy that can basically create for others and create for himself, so it helps our offense a lot,” Fox said.
Monk received a huge ovation when he checked in for the first time with 3:51 to play in the first quarter. The Kings trailed 20-17 at the time, but it wasn’t long before they took a 30-29 lead.
Oklahoma City led 63-62 at the end of a closely contested first half that featured 13 ties and 15 lead changes. DeRozan and Gilgeous-Alexander carried the scoring load for their respective teams. DeRozan had 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting. Gilgeous-Alexander had 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting.
The Thunder opened up a seven-point lead when Williams hit a pullup jumper to put his team up 85-78 with 3:32 to play in the third quarter. Oklahoma City extended the lead to 12 after Gilgeous-Alexander made a driving layup and a 3-pointer from the top of the arc.
Ajay Mitchell hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Thunder a 97-84 lead at the end of the third quarter.
The lead swelled to 18 early in the fourth. The Kings got within 12 on a basket by Fox with 8:52 to play, but the Thunder responded with big baskets every time Sacramento threatened to get any closer.
The Kings shot 53.2% from the field and 36.8% from 3-point range to keep the game close in the first half. In the second half, they shot 42.5% from the field and went 1 of 13 (7.7%) from beyond the arc.
“We made them play — we call it Plan B,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “They had to go to their second and third option. We tried to take away their main option, try to force them into the shots that they don’t necessarily love taking and are comfortable taking. We call that a Plan B possession or a Plan B game. We did a really good job of that in the second half of the third and into the fourth quarter.”
Sacramento Kings schedule
Nov. 27 at Minnesota Timberwolves
Nov. 29 at Portland Trail Blazers
Dec. 1 vs. San Antonio Spurs
Dec. 3 vs. Houston Rockets
Dec. 5 at Memphis Grizzlies
This story was originally published November 25, 2024 at 10:33 PM.
