The Sacramento Kings entered their Wednesday night clash against the Minnesota Timberwolves having lost their past four games — with their latest defeat being a 130-109 demolition at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Simply put, the Kings needed huge performances from their top players to stop the bleeding against an equally desperate Timberwolves squad, and that’s what they got as they stormed back from a 12-point deficit to take a 115-104 win.
In particular, the trio of De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, and Malik Monk — the original trio that led the Kings back to its first playoff berth in 17 years — was phenomenal against the Timberwolves. In fact, that Kings trio became the first in franchise history in over 60 years to each tally at least 25 points, five rebounds, and five assists, according to StatMamba on X (formerly Twitter).
It was better late than never for the Kings to receive that kind of production from their core trio. Fox, Sabonis, and Monk combined to score 27 of their 34 points in the decisive fourth quarter, with Monk leading the way with 11 points.
In the end, Fox finished with 28 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, Sabonis pitched in 27 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists of his own, while Monk came off the bench to finish with a season-best outing that saw him record 27 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists on a stellar 11-16 shooting from the field.
With DeMar DeRozan nursing an injury, the stage was set for this original Kings trio to carry the team on their backs once again as they looked to send the Timberwolves deeper into their spiral. And they have finally stopped their losing skid as a result, improving to 9-10 on the season.
Kings’ lack of depth may come back to bite them
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The Kings’ record-setting trio ended up scoring 71 percent of their points on the night. That may be exciting to watch, but one would have to question just how sustainable these efforts are. DeMar DeRozan’s return should help, but even then, the Kings’ depth concerns are very much valid and may end up haunting them in the end.
The Kings’ players not named De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, and Malik Monk shot the ball poorly despite their win against the Timberwolves. Those players shot 15/39 from the field, and if not for the heroics of those three, their losing streak might have reached five games. They will be hoping to get more contributions from Kevin Huerter, Keon Ellis, and even Jae Crowder moving forward.
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