Monk shares direct response to Kings searching for revenge in opposition to Pelicans initially appeared on NBC Sports activities Bay Space
Monk Malik and the Kings search for revenge in opposition to the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday evening on the Smoothie King Middle.
New Orleans, in fact, went 6-0 in opposition to Sacramento within the 2023-24 NBA season, even ending the Kings’ marketing campaign within the NBA Play-In Event.
Monk spoke to reporters Wednesday concerning the matchup with the Pelicans and the latest lopsided historical past the Western Convention groups share.
“Hell yeah,” Monk stated of his want for revenge on New Orleans (h/t Deuce Mason and Morgan Ragan of NBC Sports activities California). “Each time we play them. Hell yeah. Each time. Each time.
The 26-year-old, who not too long ago broke into Sacramento’s beginning lineup, is able to trip.
Monk missed the Kings’ loss to the Pelicans with an ankle harm, so he’ll have some additional motivation heading into Thursday. However the eight-year veteran succeeded in opposition to New Orleans all through his three seasons with Sacramento.
With kings, Monk has a median 12.7 factors, 3.9 assists and a pair of.1 rebounds in seven profession video games in opposition to the Pelicans. He is additionally nicely conscious of what New Orleans did nicely in opposition to Sacramento final season and what wants to vary in Thursday’s recreation.
“Their defensive schemes, I really feel like we simply performed their half, what they needed us to do,” Monk stated. “We performed one-on-one as an alternative of kicking the ball like we often do. So we merely built-in their recreation plans: it will not occur once more.
This looks as if a workable answer.
The Pelicans held the Kings’ quantity this previous 12 months, however to some, aside from Monk, that reality does not imply a lot.
Freshman Sacramento wing DeMar DeRozanwho wasn’t there in the course of the Kings’ 0-6 streak in opposition to the Pelicans, is treating this recreation like every other.
“No, not essentially,” DeRozan instructed reporters Wednesday ((h/t Deuce Mason and Morgan Ragan of NBC Sports activities California). “The place we at the moment are, [in] Within the place we have put ourselves in, we’re simply making an attempt to take it one recreation at a time. This is a chance to go on the market and get one other win and see what occurs.
“However we haven’t actually talked about final 12 months’s 0-6 document.”
Monk, DeRozan and the kings all share their purpose of beating the Pelicans.
For Monk, nonetheless, Thursday’s recreation may have an additional kick; for DeRozan, nonetheless, it will likely be simply one other evening.
