Malik Monk set up one Zach LaVine three early in the fourth quarter and another late. In between, he made three jumpers of his own, two from beyond the arc. An opponent trying to bring a lead down possession by possession would like to know which of those jobs a guard intends to do. The Mavericks had to contend with both.
Sacramento’s 115-100 win in Dallas was its first of the season. Monk scored 24, made five threes and handed out seven assists. Acuff scored more for the Kings, with 25. The useful part of Monk’s work was how often Sacramento could involve him without needing the possession to finish the same way.
The fourth quarter supplied the clearest evidence. Monk scored on a driving floater early in the period, made a step-back jumper later and then hit another step-back 3-pointer. Sacramento went from an 81-74 lead after three quarters to a 94-79 advantage during that stretch.
Those were not interchangeable points. Monk produced a basket inside, a two-point jumper and a 3-pointer, using three different ways to add to the lead. His value came from changing roles without leaving the offense short of a decision-maker.
There was real resistance. Dallas had a one-point lead midway through the third, and it cut a 15-point deficit to seven in the fourth. That made Sacramento’s decisions with the ball consequential.
The Kings could have gone several possessions without getting anything they needed. Monk’s fourth-quarter work included a driving floater, a step-back two and threes, but it also included the pass to a shooter who had his own rhythm.
Acuff was valuable in that stretch, too. He got to the line after Dallas closed the gap and scored on several later possessions. His 25 points and six assists made him a substantial part of the answer.
The presence of a scorer already having a good night is exactly why Monk’s line is interesting. He could play next to that production and make it more difficult for Dallas to deal with the next trip as if it were a repeat of the last.
LaVine made his first Monk-assisted three of the quarter to put Sacramento up 89-77. The later connection pushed the lead to 109-93, and LaVine added another three on a separate play. He finished with 23.
