Fresh off a stunning upset over the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Sacramento Kings were hoping to close out their six-game road swing with another win — this time against the lowly Detroit Pistons. But things took a turn for the worse in Monday night’s matchup.
The Kings struggled to find their rhythm early, trailing 72-62 at the half despite a red-hot performance from DeMar DeRozan. The veteran forward poured in 22 points before the break, hitting 7 of 11 shots from the field and 8 of 10 from the line, doing everything he could to keep Sacramento within reach.
But the biggest blow of the night didn’t come on the scoreboard — it came on the injury report.
Sixth man standout Malik Monk exited the game just six minutes in with a left calf injury and was quickly ruled out for the rest of the contest. The timing couldn’t be worse. With just four regular season games left and the play-in tournament looming, Sacramento can’t afford to lose one of its most dynamic playmakers.
Monk has been a force all season, averaging 17.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game. His early departure leaves a major hole in the Kings’ rotation — and against a scrappy Pistons squad, that absence could be costly.
Now staring down a double-digit deficit and missing a key weapon, the Kings are in for a fight if they want to avoid ending this road trip on a sour note.
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