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With just over four minutes remaining in the third quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers‘ Wednesday night bout with the Grizz, a Malik Monk lay-up put the purple and gold crew up 80-66. At that moment, the team looked to be headed for its second win in as many nights (after having lost five straight previously).
Then the roof caved it.
“Coming out in the third quarter, it got away from us right there in that little stretch,” Monk said after the game. He wasn’t wrong, either. Memphis went on to outscore the Lakers 38-19 the rest of the way to capture a 104-99 win.
As a result, what might have been the start of a winning streak is now six losses in seven tries. And the Lakers are now two games below the .500 mark at 17-19. For his part, Monk is flabbergasted by his squad’s continued underperformance.
“S*** is super frustrating, man,” Monk confessed. “We’ve been doing this all year and we know what it takes — that’s why it’s so frustrating for us.”
Figuring Things Out
Although the Grizz are one of the better teams in the Western Conference, losing to them in this way is a gut punch. It’s particularly tough to stomach given that LeBron James was in vintage form, scoring 37 points on 13-of-25 shooting while adding 13 rebounds, seven assists, two steals and two blocks.
Alas, that’s who the Lakers are this season. More a group of individuals than an actual team. They’ve had their fair share of big-time player performances but, somehow, they still find a way to come out behind the game. They’re arguably the most star-studded team in modern history, but their point differential for the year checks in at minus-2.1 points per 100 possessions.
As Monk sees it, they just need to find some semblance of oneness.
“Just being together and trusting the other guy and not trying to do everything by yourself… I don’t like saying this s***, but we’re still a new team. Still figuring each other out. But yeah, we got to trust the next guy,” he said of the situation.
“We just got to be locked in as a whole together and I think we’ll be alright.”
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Monk Has Done Alright For Himself
For his part, Monk has been playing well. Since clearing health and safety protocols and returning on Christmas Day, the former lottery pick has averaged 20 points per game on shooting splits of 58-42-100. Over that span, he has posted a team-best net rating of 12.5.
Along the way, Lakers assistant David Fizdale has taken note of Monk’s approach and temperament.
“I think the thing that impresses me the most with Malik Monk is the pace that he plays the game at,” Fizdale said after Tuesday’s win over the Rockets, via Lakers Nation. “He plays with a real mature temperament, kind of Lou Williams-ish. I don’t like to get too deep into the comparison on it, but he just has that real nice tempo to his game and he knows the right play to make at the right time.”
Fizdale further noted that Monk has earned the trust of the Lakers’ star player.
“The one thing I know is that when LeBron James has the ultimate confidence in you, boy that has to feel good and I know LeBron’s got big-time confidence in Malik Monk.”
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Lakers Guard on Late-Game Collapse: ‘Super Frustrating’