Malik Monk’s official injury status for Kings vs. Spurs

The Sacramento Kings picked up a statement road victory against the Phoenix suns on Sunday, but it wasn’t a fairytale outing for the Kings. Sacramento’s star duo of De’Aaron Fox and DeMar DeRozan dominated and scored all 16 of the Kings’ overtime points, showing just how dangerous this team can be down this stretch.

Sacramento’s bench unit suffered a brutal blow in Sunday’s win when its sixth man, Malik Monk, went down in the second quarter with an ankle injury and did not return.

Monk has officially suffered a right ankle sprain and will miss Monday night’s game against the San Antonio Spurs.

Monk finished second in the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year last season and has been a serious contender for the award every year since arriving in Sacramento. Without Monk, Sacramento’s bench unit has a gaping hole, and the Kings face a serious test now that he’s sidelined.

Sacramento’s starting lineup was one of the best in the NBA early in the new season, but their second unit was mediocre.

Monk averaged 13.6 points and 2.9 assists through the first nine games of the season, playing 27 minutes per game. The only other real contributor off the bench for Sacramento was Keon Ellis, a defensive specialist, who may not have the resources to take on Monk’s offensive role.

The Kings face a dangerous Spurs side for the second leg of a back-to-back, when the bench unit is more important than ever. Sacramento’s stars will need to step up to fill the glaring hole in their second unit.

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