Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN
Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk — one of the frontrunners for NBA Sixth Man of the Year — has suffered a sprained right MCL and is expected to miss four-to-six weeks, sources told ESPN on Saturday.
Monk, who was injured after Luka Doncic landed on his knee in a loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Friday, will likely need the Kings to advance in the Western Conference playoffs to return this season.
The Kings announced Monk’s injury in a news release Saturday, saying he would be reevaluated in four weeks.
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The Kings entered Saturday’s games eighth in the West — ½ game behind No. 7 Phoenix — and are now without guards Kevin Huerter (shoulder surgery) and Monk for the final two weeks of the regular season and beyond.
The play-in tournament is set to kick off on April 16 with the first round beginning on April 20.
Monk has had his finest NBA season so far, averaging career-bests of 15.2 points, 5.2 assists and transforming himself into a strong leader for the Kings.
Monk leads the NBA in points (1,110) and assists (370) off the bench this season – something only Lou Williams (2018-2019) did for a full season since starters were first tracked in 1970-1971, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.