Malik Monk and Domantas Sabonis break records as Kings blast Milwaukee Bucks by 35 points

Domantas Sabonis broke one franchise record and Malik Monk eclipsed another while helping the Kings bounce back from a bad loss with a big win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

Sabonis put up 22 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists to lead the Kings to a 129-94 victory before a sellout crowd of 17,832 at Golden 1 Center. Sabonis recorded his 47^th consecutive double-double, breaking Jerry Lucas’ single-season franchise record of 46 during the 1967-68 season.

“Domas is a unique player,” Kings coach Mike Brown said. “He’s special.”

De’Aaron Fox had 29 points, six rebounds and seven assists for the Kings (37-27), who offered a resounding response after suffering a 112-104 loss to the Houston Rockets on Sunday. Sacramento maintained its hold on the seventh spot in the Western Conference. The Kings are a half-game behind the Phoenix Suns for sixth and a half-game ahead of the Dallas Mavericks for eighth.

The Kings had lost 15 in a row to the Bucks dating back to the 2015-16 season. They will try to build on one of their best wins of the season when they face the Los Angeles Lakers on the second night of a back-to-back Wednesday.

Monk, who finished with 25 points, five rebounds and five assists, also etched his name into the record books. With his first assist of the night, Monk passed Bobby Jackson (629) for the most assists by a reserve in franchise history.

“He is a really, really good passer and that’s what makes him dangerous in the pick-and-roll game,” Brown said. “First of all, he can shoot the 3, so you’ve got to honor that. He can finish in the medium game. He can finish at the rim. ... We put the ball in his hands probably more than any other team he’s been with because we recognize what he can do. He’s going to break many more records in his career. He’s just getting started.”

Monk said he appreciates the confidence of his coaches and teammates.

“That’s what you want,” Monk said. “You want to play basketball at a high level. Coach trusts you, trusts you to make decisions. I’ve just been making the right plays and teammates are making shots, so it hasn’t been all me.

“... Mike trusts me. Him putting the ball in my hands, my teammates trust me, knowing I’m going to make the right play. If you want to play basketball, I think you want to be in a position like this.”

Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo had 30 points and 13 rebounds for the Bucks (42-24), who are clinging to second in the Eastern Conference after losing three of their last four games. Damian Lillard was held to 10 points on 2-of-12 shooting with five rebounds and six assists.

Kings forward Keegan Murray was ruled out about two hours before tipoff due to a left ankle sprain. Murray injured the ankle when Dillon Brooks stepped on his foot in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s loss to the Rockets.

“Obviously, Keegan is an important player, and any time we miss somebody as versatile as him with his size, playing against a big team, it makes it tougher,” Brown said. “So, it’s a big blow, but we’ve had guys out before and we’ve had guys step up and help us get it done, so it’s a next-man up attitude.”

With Murray out, Brown elected to start Keon Ellis in a three-guard lineup with Fox and Kevin Huerter. Going into the game, the Kings were 4-0 with Ellis in the starting lineup, although his other starts came in place of Fox at the point guard spot.

The Kings came out firing to open up an 11-point lead in the first quarter. They went 10 of 14 from the field to start the game while holding the Bucks to 6-of-15 shooting.

The Kings shot 68.2% from the field and hit 8 of 11 (.727) from 3-point range in the opening period. They led 38-30 at the end of the first quarter and went up 48-36 early in the second.

The first player to hit double figures was Huerter, who averaged 5.3 points on 34.1% shooting over the previous six games. Huerter scored 11 points in his first 13 minutes against the Bucks. He went 4 of 5 from the field and 3 of 4 from 3-point range before going to the bench with his third foul with 8:39 to play in the first half.

The Kings went up 59-42 on a basket by Sabonis, took a 71-49 on a baseline jumper by Monk and carried a 75-56 lead into the halftime break after thoroughly outplaying the Bucks. Sacramento shot 66% from the field and 55.6% from 3-point range with 22 assists and five turnovers. Meanwhile, Milwaukee shot 42.9% from the field and 18.8% from beyond the arc.

The Kings led by 24 points in the third quarter and went up by as many as 37 in the fourth.

Fox said Sabonis’ all-around game and consistency have been a big part of Sacramento’s success over the past two seasons.

“Night in and night out, he’s come up big for us,” Fox said. “We talk about how immune people are to it. Nobody outside of us talks about it, but that’s a hard thing to do and that’s the reason not many people have done it. He comes to play every night. He’s on track to play all 82 this year — knock on wood — but he’s not just playing every game. He’s making an impact every single night that he’s out there.”

Up next

The Kings will face the Lakers for the second time in eight days on Wednesday at Golden 1 Center.

The Lakers (36-30) suffered a 130-120 loss to the Kings on March 6 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, but they are coming off two impressive wins after beating the Bucks 123-122 on Friday and the Minnesota Timberwolves 120-109 on Sunday.

All-time NBA scoring leader LeBron James is averaging 25.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 8.0 assists in his 21^st season. Anthony Davis averages 24.8 points, 12.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.5 blocks.

This will be the fourth and final meeting between the Kings and Lakers this season. The Kings have yet to lose a game in the season series. They have won four in a row, seven of their last eight and 11 of 15 against the Lakers dating back to 2020.

Upcoming schedule

March 13 vs. Los Angeles Lakers

March 16 vs. New York Knicks

March 18 vs. Memphis Grizzlies

March 20 at Toronto Raptors

March 21 at Washington Wizards