Watch: Malik Monk mauls the rim, sending the crowd into frenzied euphoria
Malik Monk of the Sacramento Kings had a monstrous slam on Friday night against the Phoenix Suns. Monk and the Kings welcomed the Suns at the Golden 1 Center, where the home crowd appreciated the 6-foot-3 guard's highlight reel. Sacramento was looking for a bounce-back win after getting mauled by the Boston Celtics on Wednesday.
With the Kings up by seven points with around seven minutes left in the second quarter, Keon Ellis stole the ball from Jordan Goodwin. Ellis ran for the fastbreak, with a trailing Monk coming to the rim at full speed.
Ellis made the right play as he passed the ball to Monk, who posterized a helpless Drew Eubanks to give the Kings fans an energy boost. The momentum from the slam helped Sacramento maintain their lead after the first half.
Here's the video of Monk's jam:
Malik Monk has been an energizer for the Sacramento Kings since they signed him last season in free agency. Monk has turned into one of the best sixth men in the league and is among the favorites to win the award.
According to the latest odds, Monk is tied with Cole Anthony of the Orlando Magic as the third favorite to become the 2024 Sixth Man of the Year. They are behind the LA Lakers' Austin Reaves and the Dallas Mavericks' Tim Hardaway Jr.
Monk is averaging 14.6 points, 2.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists in 25.2 minutes per game heading into the Suns game. He's much better this month, averaging 16.1 points, 2.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists.
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Malik Monk mum on free agency plans at end of season
Malik Monk is not looking forward to being a free agent as the Sacramento Kings are busy with the regular season. Monk will hit free agency next summer as his two-year, $19.4 million deal with the Kings expires at the end of the season.
In an interview with The Sacramento Bee, Monk explained that he's not going to put a lot of pressure on himself and would just play his heart out for the Kings. He's not worried about free agency because his game will speak for itself:
"I really don't worry about that," Monk said. "Because I know if I just go out there and perform how I perform, and do the things I've been doing, it'll work out for me."
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