What We Learned: Kings Upset Lakers as Malik Monk Surge Continues

The Sacramento Kings took down the Los Angeles Lakers 124-112 in their second straight win.

Jan 11, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (0) reacts after a three point basket during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Justine Willard-Imagn Images | Justine Willard-Imagn Images

Right when it was feeling like the Kings were hitting rock bottom of the season, they've quickly turned the corner once again with two back-to-back wins. After taking down the Houston Rockets last night, they beat the Los Angeles Lakers tonight 124-112.

That's two high-quality wins following the seven-game losing streak, and once again tonight, the Kings were fueled by Malik Monk off the bench.

He finished the night with 26 points and 8 assists on 9-of-15 from the field and 7-of-9 from three, but like we've seen time and time again in Sacramento, also brought a key energy to the game for Sacramento. The Kings finished with just 23 assists, but when they were in the flow on offense and moving the ball, were able to generate great looks.

There were times when the offense got stagnant, especially near the end of the fourth quarter, but Monk was able to knock down a three and create open looks on offense to help seal the victory.

It begs the question: Do the Kings have to trade Malik Monk?

Fan Favorite

There haven't been many certainties this season in Sacramento, but one thing that's for sure is that Kings fans still love Monk. From cheering when he gets put in a game after a few DNPs to the extra pop on a pass or shot, he is still such a joy to watch on the court and creates excitement in the arena.

In a season where the Kings are 10-30, that helps the season from completely dragging on from a fan perspective. The time will come when Scott Perry has to trade Monk, but it's always felt like the move that is going to hurt the most in Sacramento.

On the season, Monk is now averaging 11.9 points, 2.4 assists, and 2.0 rebounds on 43.8% from the field and 42.3% from three. It's the three-point shooting that stands out as it would be a career-high for the 9-year veteran. Monk was a huge part of why the Kings finished the night 17-of-26 (65.4%) from beyond the arc tonight.

Still No Answer For Luka, But Kings Defense Held Up

Jan 12, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) dribbles the ball against the Sacramento Kings in the second quarter at the Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Not many teams in the league have an answer for Luka Dončić, but the Kings struggled to slow him down tonight as he finished with 42 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds, and 4 steals. While Dončić finished with a huge night, the Kings did do a good job of weathering the storm.

They were up by 20 mid-way through the third quarter, and the Lakers would go on mini runs, but the Kings would find a way to strike back or get stops. First off, it's not a position the team has been in very much this season. The Kings don't find themselves with many 20 point leads.

But we have seen them fall out of games in a matter of minutes, and they very well could have had that happen to let the Lakers get back into the game. Instead, DeMar DeRozan led the charge on offense, along with the aforementioned play of Monk.

DeRozan Does It Again

DeRozan finished the night with 32 points and 6 assists on 14-of-19 from the field and 4-of-5 from the free throw line. It was a vintage DeRozan performance, but what helped so much were the assists and open looks that he created from the Lakers' double teams.

There's no way to know if DeRozan will still be on the team following the trade deadline, but for a Kings team that struggles so much in the half-court offense, he continues to be more important in close games than anyone else on the roster.