LeBron, Monk spark Lakers’ rally to overtake Kings
LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers scores on a layup between Davion Mitchell #15 and Harrison Barnes #40 of the Sacramento Kings during a 122-114 Los Angeles Lakers win at Staples Center on January 04, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Harry How / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
LeBron James and Malik Monk combined for 55 points, including five 3-pointers in a fourth-quarter rally that allowed the host Los Angeles Lakers to overtake the Sacramento Kings 122-114 on Tuesday night.
James finished with a game-high 31 points and Monk had 24 as the Lakers won a third straight to open a five-game homestand.
👑 31 PTS, 5 REB, 5 AST 👑@KingJames leads the @Lakers to their third-straight W and records 25+ PTS for the ninth game in a row! pic.twitter.com/9sCm3oyo9c
— NBA (@NBA) January 5, 2022
De’Aaron Fox scored a team-high 30 points and Buddy Hield tallied 26 for the Kings, who lost for just the second time in their last five games.
The Lakers trailed 96-89 with 8:11 remaining before riding 14 points from James and 11 from Monk in a 33-18 finish. James hit a pair of 3-pointers and Monk three as part of the flurry.
After James and Hield had split four consecutive lead-changing 3-pointers, Monk and Tyrese Haliburton exchanged two-point hoops. Monk gave the Lakers the lead for good, 112-110, with a 3-pointer with 2:50 to go.
James then added a pair of baskets to increase the lead to six with 52.5 seconds remaining, and Los Angeles held on from there.
LEBRON. CLUTCH. 👑@Lakers lead with less than a minute to play on @NBATV! pic.twitter.com/JcVMHgYWgN
— NBA (@NBA) January 5, 2022
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Monk wound up 6-for-11 on 3-pointers for the Lakers, who won despite getting outshot 51.8 percent to 49.5 percent overall and 41-34 on threes.
Big-time buckets from Malik Monk 🎯@Lakers and Kings in Q4 on NBA TV! pic.twitter.com/TVvdOBAGEl
— NBA (@NBA) January 5, 2022
Talen Horton-Tucker and Russell Westbrook added 19 points apiece for the Lakers, while Dwight Howard put up a double-double with 14 points and a game-high 14 rebounds.
Hield made seven 3-pointers in 13 attempts to account for a majority of his 26 points.
Harrison Barnes scored 14 points and Damian Jones 11 for the Kings. Marvin Bagley III led Sacramento with 12 rebounds, while Haliburton amassed a game-high nine assists to complement seven points.
Playing their ninth consecutive game without Anthony Davis (sprained knee), the Lakers led 89-85 on Carmelo Anthony’s hoop in the first minute of the fourth quarter.
The Kings then made a run. Haliburton hit a 3-pointer and Davion Mitchell scored twice from the interior in an 11-0 spurt that allowed Sacramento to equal either team’s largest lead of the game, 96-89, with 8:11 remaining.
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