Brown, McDermott laud Kings’ bench reliability amid Monk’s absence

Brown, McDermott laud Kings’ bench reliability amid Monk’s absence originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

With Malik Monk and DeMar DeRozan nursing injuries, it’s on the Kings’ bench to step up.

For what it’s worth, they did just that in Sacramento’s 127-104 win on Wednesday night over the Phoenix Suns at Golden 1 Center, powered by notable offensive performances from Jordan McLaughlin, Trey Lyles and notable defensive contributions from Keon Ellis.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, coach Mike Brown noted that the expectation for his bench is to keep delivering notable performances.

“Yeah, both those guys were big for us,” Brown told reporters. “Even Keon was big for us coming off the bench.

“He didn’t score like the other two guys did, but he gave us versatility on the defensive end of the floor that helped out a lot in a lot of different ways. Our bench has to continue to step up and do what they’re capable of doing and make our starter’s jobs a lot easier.”

Heading into Wednesday’s loss, the Kings’ bench posted a lackluster start to the 2024-25 NBA season. That, however, had to quickly change as DeRozan became unavailable for Brown and Co. after halftime due to lower back tightness.

McLaughlin and Lyles understood the assignment and delivered their best performances this season, combining for 24 points and six rebounds. McLaughlin, who registered a season-high 15 minutes on the floor, scored 11 of the 24 points, while Lyles, who was averaging just 4.0 points and 3.2 rebounds prior to Wednesday’s game, made three 3s on five attempts.

Overall, not only a positive sign for Brown, but also motivation for Sacramento role players such as forward Doug McDermott.

“Yeah, it’s huge,” McDermott told reporters. “Jordan had a great night last night, kind of running the show off the bench. Keon has been great as well. I have to step up. I have to play better and shoot better, just continue to be aggressive.

“When your number is called, you have to be ready. Obviously, we know we have a huge piece out right now, so we have to step up. It’s a joint committee, not just one guy.”

With…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/brown-mcdermott-laud-kings-bench-042726461.html

Author : NBC Sports BayArea

Publish date : 2024-11-15 04:27:00

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