Malik Monk, Keegan Murray & Coach Christie | Postgame Interview 11.22.2025

Malik Monk, Keegan Murray & Coach Christie | Postgame Interview 11.22.2025

Malik, how much did you guys just need that one? We need every win, man. We need everything from now on. Um, but I feel like we we we definitely needed this one, um, against this great team. Um, they definitely going to be in the playoffs. They going to make a playoff push. So, um, seeing we can do it against a team like this, um, I think it give us a little bit more confidence than what we had. What was the difference in the mindset you guys had offensively with the way you guys were breaking down the defense, passing a lot more? You tied your season high for assist tonight. Just what what was the thought going into the game? Uh that’s how we want to play um all the time to be honest. But we we don’t um but yeah, that that that’d be our game plan um every game to to go out there and share the ball like that. But um I felt like everybody knew we needed this one bad. Um we knew they were on the back to back um a late a late game last night. They played a tough one. um in Houston. So, um we needed everything tonight and we got it. What would you make of Russ’s performance in the fourth quarter? Uh how many years he been in the league? 18. Yeah, he he been doing this for a long time, man. Nothing nothing surprised me. And what kind of lift did Dennis give you guys with his scoring in the third? Uh 13 years by him, huh, man? Two veteran guards that know how to play the game. Um know when to get the ball in the basket when um when when they team need it. So, uh, yeah, good job by both of them. With Keegan back, how does that help you guys just sort of play your natural positions, you know, fewer like four guard lineups, you have somebody who can play defense against Jamal and pick him up and then also space the floor. Just what’s Keegan’s return mean for you guys? Everything, man. Um, especially especially on the defensive end, to be honest. Um, we need them on offense to space the floor, but um, I feel like our bad defense just make our offense bad. So, um, having him out there, um, guard the point, guard the four, guard the foul whenever we need it. Um, it’s it’s great. It’s great to have him back. You’ve seen Demar close a lot of games. How many years he been in the league, too? We got a lot of veteran guys, man. What What was it like seeing him? It seems like lately he’s he’s been kind of going through it a little bit. What What was it like to to see him um, you know, hit those hit those? Yeah, it was it was great. Um, it was great seeing Debo get his joy back. Um he he’s been down a little bit like you said last few games, but um I’m glad he turned it around. I’m glad this was the game. Um the flight won’t be too long now. Cool. Thanks, Lee. Yeah, your second game back and been around the team, but just what’s your feeling on just how much you guys needed this one? Uh yeah, I mean it was I don’t think we won for like two weeks, so um it was good to get that feeling back and um obviously winning in this league is hard. Um, so for us it’s just trying to keep momentum going into our small home stand. And what can a win like this do for for your confidence knowing that it’s a really good team on the other side with Jokic scoring at 44? What does that do for you guys going forward? Yeah, I mean I feel like we had a good game plan going in and um I feel like we executed it pretty well. Um so for us is just trying to stick with it. um just competing on both ends of the floor and um especially in the second half I thought we played really well on the defensive end and got stops when we needed to and made buckets when we needed to. Do you get the sense that with you back that a lot of guys can start to play their more natural positions now? Yeah. Yeah. I mean I mean this was kind of the first game I felt more like myself knocking the rust off a little bit and um I felt it kind of helped with guys confidence and things like that. So, um, obviously we’re a team and, um, I feel like when I was gone, it was it was tough because we had guys playing different positions and things like that. So, um, naturally, I think they’re they’re just more comfortable right now. What was it like for you to watch Russ do what he did in the fourth quarter and hit some of those shots? Yeah. Yeah, he made um, some really tough shots and obviously he played here last year, so um, that was big for him. and uh he’s a super confident guy, been around the block a couple times and um it just it was a big moment for him and uh helped us get the win. It only being your second game playing with two new point guards, what’s that adjustment been like for you on the fly and and how do you view that going forward in terms of getting comfortable with those guys? Yeah, it’s an adjustment. Um obviously with Dennis and Russ um I haven’t had much playing time with them. So, um, especially Russ, um, I’ve only we didn’t even have a training camp or practice together and we just had these two games. So, um, just figuring out, um, where I like the ball, um, where their spots are and things like that. So, it’s going to be an adjustment. What were the conversations like after Memphis and and the team meetings and and those types of things coming into this one? Yeah, I mean we didn’t we just scratched that film honestly and we just moved on to this game and focus all of our uh all of our energy on this game and um obviously it turned out well. So um we just have to figure out how especially the Memphis game and the Atlanta game earlier in the year how to how to bring our energy in back to backs. Cool. Thanks Kee. Yeah. Thank you. Just first of all, how much did you guys just need this from an emotional standpoint to end the road trip on that? I mean, yes, definitely. I mean, in in our league, wins are hard to come by, so definitely needed it. I think even more importantly what was necessary is to see that the process that we shown in flashes when done for a whole game equates you know the byproduct of that is winning. Um and I commend this was a complete team team win. guys sacrificing across the board with minutes and subs and all types of different things and supporting each other in a in a big time way. Yeah. What was the difference in and mindset that you guys had offensively? I know you guys talk about sharing the ball, but it seemed like tonight with the way you guys are breaking down the defense and kicking out to open shooters was a lot different than than what we’d seen recently. I mean, well, you know, one of one of our principles is you you want to get to the paint. You want to touch the paint. We wanted to advance the basketball either with a dribble or with a pass. Um once that’s done, explore. If you have it, great. If you don’t, kick it back out. Um create an advantage maybe through, you know, a drag screen and roll, get downhill, touch the paint, swing, swing, drive, kick, swing. And tonight they, you know, the guys did that at a really high level. and to turn the ball over only six times. I know you guys typically aren’t a seven seven times. Sorry. You guys aren’t a high turnover team, but with all the assists, just what’s that say about how you guys are playing offensively? Well, more than anything, you know, I think I said pregame the the common factor in the wins is 27. That’s the average of assists. Tonight it was 32. So, there’s a common theme for me. It’s always 30 is the number. 30 is a high level. That means the ball is moving around. Now, that is also potential assists because not always do you make the shot that just because you don’t have a high number of assists don’t mean you weren’t moving the basketball. Some nights you just don’t make shots. So, um it’s just it’s a good thing. Not to mention, you know, seven turnovers. You you sometimes we have turnovers and the points off turnovers is huge because they’re live ball. We’re not getting back. Maybe the floor was unbalanced. But tonight, guys were very locked in in transition, the physicality, the communication. There were there were breakdowns. That’s the nature of our game. But for the most part, um it it was very well executed. With Keegan coming back, obviously he provides defense and spaces the floor, but he also feels like he allows everyone else to sort of slot into their more natural positions. How much did you notice that? Um and how important is that for you guys going forward? I mean, Keegan is a big part of what we do, our our foundation moving forward. And um he does so many different things. First of all, he started guarding Murray right off the bat. So, like that’s in in incredible that you you have your small forward that’s able to navigate and guard pick and rolls at 68 69. Um then he shoots the ball at a at a high clip. Um if you foul him, he gets to the free throw line, he’ll knock those down. He rebounds the ball. had a man-sized rebound tonight. Like everything that we are about as Sacramento Kings basketball, Keegan is a a shining example of that for sure. And what was what was it like for you just watching Russ in the fourth quarter? I know he’s been in the league for a long time. He’s done that a lot, but to see him do that against his former team. Was it like for you? I mean, you know, just just watching Russ over all the years, I just the the passion and aggression that he plays with is special. It doesn’t it it’s palpable. you can you can feel it. And I know from playing against former teams, there’s a thing there. Um, and he found a game and helped us quite handily. Um, shot making, driving downhill. I believe in the first half there was a stat that I that I had just heard is he had touched the paint 20 times or something like that. And that was one of our keys is we want to get downhill. We need to touch the paint. And when we touch the paint and it’s collapsed, either you finish, if you don’t, you spray the basketball, which causes the dominoes to start to fall. So, good stuff by him. I think Dennis had 21 points through three quarters. At one point, did you know that this is going to be Russ’s game? I mean, I I don’t think Russ’s game, that’s the sacrifice that I’m talking about cuz Dennis had been playing really, really well. And there’s the there’s the thing is like, who do you go with in this moment? And then Russ made a shot, made a play, and I’m like, “Okay, let’s let’s hold on.” And then before you know it, and and Dennis like even coming in at the last play to get it in, like what a teammate, man. Like that for me is another shining example of what Sacramento Kings basketball is about. What you need me to do, coach? I got you. And he flies out, draws the defense, and then we get the ball in and knock down free throws. So, um, spectacular game by Dennis between the two of those guys. 42 points and 18 assists. Like, sign me up. Malik said it was good to see Demar find his joy tonight. Recover that a little bit. What was it like for you to see him have hit those shots late to ice for you guys? You know, like he is he’s one of my my favorite people, man. just getting to know him, watching his process, hearing his story, getting to know him on a personal level, working with him before I got into this position. Um, and seeing how he goes about his business in his life. Um, so basketball is about joy. It’s about happiness. It’s about a child’s game that we play, but we we get paid a lot of money and it’s the best job in the world. And to not have that, that makes me sad sometimes. But to watch him play like that is doesn’t get any better than that, man. Yeah. Appreciate y’all. Appreciate it. Thank you.

Malik Monk, Keegan Murray & Coach Christie speak to the media following a 128-123 win over the Denver Nuggets Saturday, November 22, 2025 at Ball Arena.

The Kings will return to Sacramento for a two-game homestand that begins with a Monday night mathcup with the Minnesota Timberwolves at Golden 1 Center.

Malik Monk – 0:00

Keegan Murray – 2:27

Coach Christie – 5:08

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