The Sacramento Kings will be missing at least two key players and maybe more when they conclude a four-game road trip against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets on Monday at Ball Arena.
Malik Monk will miss his second consecutive game due to personal reasons and Keegan Murray is still recovering from thumb surgery, but the Kings now have other concerns as well. Zach LaVine (lower back soreness), Dennis Schroder (right hip soreness) and Devin Carter (right knee soreness) are all considered questionable for Monday’s game.
The Kings (2-4) came back from a 15-point deficit to earn a surprising, dramatic and hard-fought 135-133 victory over two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday. Sacramento desperately needed a win after losing three in a row while playing the most difficult schedule in the NBA to date.
The Nuggets (3-2) had won three in a row before suffering a 109-107 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday. Denver guard Jamal Murray (left calf tightness) and forward Cameron Johnson (right shoulder inflammation) are also dealing with injuries, but both are listed as probable against the Kings.
Here are three keys to Monday’s game.
LaVine and Schroder’s production
Kings coach Doug Christie will have some decisions to make if Schroder and LaVine are unable to play against the Nuggets. Schroder and LaVine have started all six games this season.
Schroder is averaging 14.3 points, 6.5 assists and 1.7 assists as the team’s starting point guard. The Kings acquired him to be their starting point guard over the summer in a sign-and-trade deal with the Detroit Pistons.
LaVine is averaging 29.5 points with five 30-point games. He is shooting 53% from the field and 40% from 3-point range while averaging career highs of 19.2 field-goal attempts and 9.2 3-point attempts.
Sacramento’s starting lineup
If Schroder is ruled out, Russell Westbrook will probably start at point guard.
Westbrook, who will turn 37 next week, signed a nonguaranteed, one-year $3.8 million veteran’s minimum contract with the Kings a week before their season opener. The 18-year veteran and former MVP is averaging 11.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.3 steals. He is shooting just 39.1% from the field, but he is hitting a career-best 37% from 3-point range on 4.5 attempts per game.
If Schroder is ruled out, Christie will likely start either Keon Ellis or Nique Clifford with LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Domantas Sabonis handling much of the playmaking responsibilities.
Ellis, one of Sacramento’s best perimeter defenders, is averaging 7.0 points, 1.7 rebounds, 0.7 assists and 1.8 steals in 19.0 minutes per game. Clifford, a rookie first-round draft pick who missed four games with a hamstring injury, is averaging 1.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks in 20.0 minutes per contest.
Defending Jokic
Jokic has only led the Nuggets in scoring once this season with Aaron Gordon erupting for 50 points in a game against the Golden State Warriors and Murray pouring in 43 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
That doesn’t mean Jokic is any less dangerous than he’s always been. The three-time MVP is averaging 20.4 points, 14.4 rebounds, 10.8 assists and 1.8 steals. He is shooting 59.1% from the field, but thus far he has only made 23.8% from 3-point range.
Kings at Nuggets
When: 6 p.m.
Where: Ball Arena
TV: NBC Sports California
Radio: Sactown Sports 1140
Odds: Nuggets -11.5
Over/under: 235.5
Injury report
Kings: QUESTIONABLE — Devin Carter (knee); Zach LaVine (back); Dennis Schroder (hip). OUT — Malik Monk (personal); Keegan Murray (thumb); Isaiah Stevens (G League).
Nuggets: PROBABLE — Cameron Johnson (shoulder); Jamal Murray (calf). OUT — Tamar Bates (G League); DaRon Holmes II (G League); Curtis Jones (G League).
This story was originally published November 3, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
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Jason Anderson
The Sacramento Bee
Jason Anderson is The Sacramento Bee’s Kings beat writer. He is a Sacramento native and a graduate of Fresno State, where he studied journalism and college basketball under the late Jerry Tarkanian.
