Buckets certainly aren’t exclusive to specific defenders and opponents when a player of Malik Monk’s talent is the one delivering them. But, if there’s one team that seemed to bring out the absolute in the Sacramento Kings’ eight-year veteran in 2024-25 — and historically — it would be the Memphis Grizzlies. As if seeing the future on his initial highlight, the former Sixth Man of the Year runner-up uses mind control on Desmond Bane’s stolen pass, leaving the runway completely cleared for an open-floor speedrun. Ready to explore the “jungle out there” in transition, Monk synchronizes his steps before elevating into a double-clutch reverse throwdown, livening the crowd. Matchups against Memphis’ fast-paced attack yielded elite results for Monk, who boasted a 27.3-point scoring average (on 53-48-100 percentage splits) in three regular-season head-to-heads. One of three 20-point scorers during the night’s conquest, Monk appropriately closed with a 28-point, four-rebound, seven-assist, one-steal, three-block performance on sound efficiency overall (10-of-17) and from downtown (four-of-eight). · Mar 18, 2025