Lakers: Malik Monk Puts Up the Best Game of His Laker Career

One highlight from the loss in Atlanta.

The Lakers didn't have much to be happy about on Sunday afternoon. Facing off against the Hawks without LeBron James for the third consecutive game, they needed big performances to finish out the road trip with a win. They got a few big performances, but the defense fell asleep. 

One highlight was the performance of Malik Monk. The 23-year-old guard put up the best game of his Lakers career, scoring 33 points and helping Los Angeles stay in it the entire afternoon. 

Monk shot  12-19(63 percent) from the field and landed 8 of his 14 attempts from beyond the arc. He added in 10 rebounds and 5 assists in what would end up being a 129-121 loss for the Lakers. 

Malik Monk stays clutch to end the half 🥶 pic.twitter.com/TPvf2iVzaD

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) January 30, 2022

On one hand, it's a shame that the Lakers wasted such a good game from Monk with the loss. But it should also serve as a reminder that this team is packed with talent, it's just a matter of getting them all going together. 

The Lakers had big performances from Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis this week with LeBron out. Russ scored 35 points against Charlotte on Friday and AD added a 31 point game against the 76ers on Thursday. That means in 3 losses, they had 3 guys that individually scored 31 or more points. 

That's a tough one to accept for Lakers fans. But when LeBron is back and healthy, the hope is that all of these starters can find their rhythm together. If they can, they could be a problem for the league.