LeBron James returned to play for the Los Angeles Lakers in their game against the New York Knicks on Saturday night, helping the franchise to a much-needed and hard-fought victory. James had a triple-double in the game but he also had help from co-star Anthony Davis as well as Malik Monk, who seems to have gone to another level for the Lakers in their recent games.
Monk’s performances have drawn praise from several fans and media members, he has been a bright spot in what is looking like an abysmal season for the Lakers so far. LeBron has also spoken out about Monk’s run of good form for LA, discussing how Monk is realizing his abilities and how they fit in with the rest of the roster.
“Every game he becomes more and more comfortable. He understands his ability and what he brings to this team.”
Monk was tied with LBJ in points scored as the Lakers beat the Knicks 122-115, scoring 29 on excellent efficiency. He made 11 of his 20 field-goal attempts and made 4 of 8 three-pointers as well. Monk was a catalyst in the third quarter for the Lakers, getting hot at the right time to ensure they outscored the Knicks by 18 points during that stretch.
Monk has scored 21 points or more 4 times in his last 6 games for the Lakers, making a case to be given more shots in the offense as they look to find any spark that will help them gain a more respectable seed in the Western Conference. Monk is +14 in the plus-minus column over the last 6 games, excellent numbers for a player that wasn’t necessarily considered a key piece before the season began.
The Los Angeles Lakers now have a 26-28 record, and LeBron’s return is something they will need to capitalize on to finish the season strong. The Lakers cannot afford to limp into the playoffs, and entirely missing them would be considered quite a disaster for the franchise, considering the sort of star power that they boast.
