Kings Outlook Following Back-To-Back Losses vs. Dallas

Sacramento could be in trouble following another heartbreaker against the Mavericks.

Mar 29, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (10) battles Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II (2). / Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

The Sacramento Kings went into the week hoping to secure the sixth seed for the playoffs, but back-to-back home losses to the Dallas Mavericks were an unprecedented setback. The Kings were in control for most of Friday's game against Dallas, but a blown fourth-quarter lead in the must-win game summarizes Sacramento's 2023-24 season.

While the loss to Dallas put the Kings two games behind sixth place in the West with just nine games remaining, Kings fans' worst nightmare was not the final score, it was instead what happened in the first quarter of Friday's matchup.

Sacramento's star guard and leading NBA Sixth Man of the Year candidate Malik Monk left Friday's game early after a collision with Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic, as the Kings fear Monk suffered a sprained MCL, per Shams Charania of The Athletic. Monk has averaged 15.4 points and 5.1 assists per game this season, both third-highest on the team. If Monk has to miss significant time, the Kings could be in trouble.

With Monk, Kevin Huerter, Trey Lyles, and Sasha Vezenkov all out with injuries, Sacramento's depth raises concerns. If the season ended today, the Kings would have to face the seventh-place Phoenix Suns in the play-in tournament, and if they lost, they would face either the Los Angeles Lakers or Golden State Warriors in a win-or-go-home situation.

If Monk is out for an extended period, Sacramento's bench unit would revolve around Davion Mitchell, Chris Duarte, Alex Len, and a mix of Kessler Edwards and Colby Jones until Vezenkov or Lyles return.

The Kings are not in the position they were hoping for with less than ten games until the playoffs, but they are still a talented team built around the star duo of De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. While the play-in tournament is not where they wanted to be, the Kings are capable of shocking the league and making a run regardless.

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