BBNBA: Malik Monk, De'Aaron Fox lead massive comeback in Sacramento
Giving up wasn’t an option late Wednesday night in California’s capital city. The Sacramento Kings were able to erase a 19-point deficit to beat the Denver Nuggets 127-126. In a matchup where every point mattered, Malik Monk delivered and proved to be oh-so-clutch. Monk led all scorers with 33 points in a season-high outing.
The Kings quickly flipped a switch after finding themselves down 40-24 at the end of the first quarter. Sacramento then went on to outscore Denver in every quarter after that.
Monk’s biggest bucket came at the free throw line in the closing seconds of the game. With the score tied at 126, Monk was fouled and sent to the line to close out the game. He was able to sink his second free throw, as the Kings took a one-point lead. There were no heroics for the Nuggets as the Kings were able to hang on to the win.
What could be more impressive than Monk’s season-high last night? Well, the fact that the monstrous performance came off the bench. The ex-Wildcat dropped 33 points in 30 minutes logged. Wednesday night’s outing gives Monk a firm argument for Sixth Man of the Year, considering his impressive record off the pine this season.
De’Aaron Fox isn’t to be forgotten, though. Fox recorded an impressive double-double with 31 points and 13 assists on the evening. Fox was averaging 23.3 PPG coming into Wednesday night. An All-Star appearance could be in the cards for Fox depending on how his play continues post-Christmas.
The Kings were able to avenge their Tuesday night defeat to Denver where they fell 113-106 behind Fox’s 26 points. The BBNBA backcourt continues to roll in Sacramento and the Kings are in sixth place in the West with an 18-15 record.
BBNBA bright lights
Expect paparazzi and flashiness when Miami and Los Angeles face-off, but expect Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro to keep their cool as well. The Miami Heat are back over .500 after their 112-98 win over the Lakers. Miami is back at full strength and it showed on Wednesday night.
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Adebayo was a force to be reckoned with, posting a double-double in 38 minutes of play. A 23-point and 14-rebound night for Adebayo had the Lakers perplexed especially since Anthony Davis is still sidelined with a foot injury.
Herro put in a good shift as well, with an 18-point and nine-assist evening. Herro shot 3-7 beyond the arc in the win. Perhaps the best news for BBNBA fans is that the ex-Kentucky duo seems to be cemented in the starting lineup, even with Jimmy Butler back. The 305’s Big Three will need to work well as they’ve done before if Miami hopes to make up some lost ground in the stacked Eastern Conference. While Miami looks the part, they currently sit in sixth place in the East.
On the losing side, Wenyen Gabriel added 10 points off the bench for the Lakers. Gabriel continues to provide a spark off the bench because of Davis’ absence.
Other BBNBA Notes
- Hamidou Diallo dropped 11 points while Kevin Knox II added three points in a rare Detroit win. The Pistons bested the Magic 121-101 in the Motor City.
- Jarred Vanderbilt was one rebound away from a double-double on Wednesday night. The Jazz fell 112-107 to the Warriors at Golden State. Vanderbilt finished with 10 points and nine rebounds.
- While Monk and Fox got the praises in Sacramento’s 127-126 win, Trey Lyles made sure to do some damage. Lyles posted five points and nine rebounds in the Kings’ win.
12/28/2022 Statistics
| Player | Score | PTS | FG (3PT) | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | MIN | +/- |
| Malik Monk (SAC) | 127-126 W vs. DEN | 33 | 12-21 (4-8) | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 30 | +8 |
| De’Aaron Fox (SAC) | 127-126 W vs. DEN | 31 | 12-21 (3-6) | 2 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 36 | +5 |
| Bam Adebayo (MIA) | 112-98 W vs. LAL | 23 | 10-16 (0-0) | 14 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 38 | +24 |
| Tyler Herro (MIA) | 112-98 W vs. LAL | 18 | 6-17 (3-7) | 4 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 35 | +29 |
| Hamidou Diallo (DET) | 121-101 W vs. ORL | 11 | 4-6 (1-2) | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | +19 |
| Jarred Vanderbilt (UTA) | 112-107 L @ GSW | 10 | 4-8 (0-1) | 9 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 0 |
| Wenyen Gabriel (LAL) | 112-98 L @ MIA | 10 | 4-4 (1-1) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13 | +5 |
| Trey Lyles (SAC) | 127-126 W vs. DEN | 5 | 2-3 (1-1) | 9 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 24 | +13 |
| Kevin Knox II (DET) | 121-101 W vs. ORL | 3 | 1-3 (1-3) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | -5 |
| Nerlens Noel (DET) | 121-101 W vs. ORL | 1 | 0-0 (0-0) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Anthony Davis (LAL) | 112-98 L @ MIA | DNP | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Devin Booker (PHO) | 127-102 L @ WSH | DNP | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Jamal Murray (DEN) | 127-126 L @ SAC | DNP | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Karl-Anthony Towns (MIN) | 119-118 L @NOP | DNP | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Tonight in the NBA
7:00: Cavaliers @ Pacers (Jackson)
7:00: Thunder (Gilgeous-Alexander) @ Hornets (Richards, PJ Washington)
7:30 (NBA TV): Clippers (Wall, Boston Jr.) @ Celtics
7:30: Grizzlies @ Raptors
8:00: Knicks (Randle, Quickley) @ Spurs (Johnson)
8:30: Rockets (TyTy Washington Jr.) @ Mavericks
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