Malik Monk got his payback.
In his return to the city he called home for the first four years of his NBA career, Monk had a little extra motivation to help the Kings pull out a victory against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night at Spectrum Center.
"It was good to come back and kick their ass like we did," Monk told reporters after the Kings' 123-98 win. "Put that out there, too."
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Monk was selected in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft by the Hornets with the No. 11 overall pick. In four seasons with Charlotte, Monk averaged 9.1 points on 40.3-percent shooting from the field and 33.9 percent from 3-point range, with two rebounds and 1.8 assists in 17.8 minutes per game off the bench.
This isn't the first time the Kings guard faced his old squad this season, though, as the first result wasn't as sweet as this most recent victory. Charlotte entered Golden 1 Center last week and left with a 111-104 win, a game in which Monk scored just six points on 2-of-7 shooting from the field and 2 of 5 from deep, finishing a minus-21 in plus/minus rating in 20 minutes off the bench.
But Sacramento's beloved Sixth Man sought vengeance this time around, dropping 20 points on 46.2 percent shooting, adding four rebounds, four assists and two blocks while finishing a plus-17 in 30 minutes.
NBA
"It feels great," Monk said. "Especially all the love I get here. They haven't seen me put on a good performance in a minute so it felt good."
Monk has risen as a top NBA Sixth Man of the Year candidate this season as he continues to provide an energetic jolt off the bench for Sacramento. Through 36 games this season, the Kentucky product is putting up career-highs nearly across the board, averaging 15 points on 44.6-percent shooting from the field and 40.7 from deep, along with 2.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists in 25.6 minutes.
The Kings are 2-0 on their current five-game road trip following back-to-back victories, and Monk and the rest of the team will look to keep things rolling as they prepare for a big game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night.