Top Takeaways from LeBron James, Lakers' Win vs. Wizards

LeBron James continued to defy Father Time with a 50-point performance Friday night to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 122-109 home win over the Washington Wizards.

James knocked down 18 of his 25 shots from the field (72 percent) to hit 50 points for the second time in the past three games. He also tallied seven rebounds, six assists, six threes and a block in 36 minutes as L.A. improved its record to 29-37.

Malik Monk (21 points), Talen Horton-Tucker (15) and Austin Reaves (12) also reached double figures in scoring for the Lakers, who sit ninth in the Western Conference as they attempt to secure a berth in the play-in tournament.

It was a strong overall offensive performance from James and Co., who made 52.7 percent of their shots, connected on 14 threes and turned the ball over just seven times.

Former Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma paced the Wizards with 23 points as they dropped to 29-36, which is 11th in the East and 2.5 games behind the Atlanta Hawks for the last play-in spot.

Los Angeles and Washington will meet once more this season when the Lake Show visit Capital One Arena in the nation's capital next Saturday.

LeBron James Making Late Push for MVP Consideration

Ashley Landis/Associated Press

James was a prominent part of the early-season Most Valuable Player conversation but mostly faded from the discussion while missing 18 games because of injuries.

It's remained a wide-open race heading into the stretch run of the regular season with the Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic, Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid, Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo, Chicago Bulls' DeMar DeRozan and Memphis Grizzlies' Ja Morant among the contenders.

While James would still have quite a bit of ground to make up to pass those fellow MVP hopefuls, it's probably time his name at least starts being mentioned again.

The four-time winner of the NBA's top individual honor has averaged 33.4 points, 9.7 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.4 blocks while shooting 52.2 percent from the field in seven appearances since the All-Star break.

Those numbers are made more impressive by the fact he hasn't enjoyed the star power around him that was expected. Anthony Davis has been sidelined by a foot injury since mid-February, and Russell Westbrook's offensive struggles have continued, including just five points against the Wizards.

So, as of late, there have been extended stretches where James is basically a one-man wrecking crew doing everything his power to will the Lakers to victories. That was certainly the case Friday.

L.A. is still in the danger zone in what's basically a four- or five-team race for two spots. Here's a look at how the standings shape up at the bottom of the West playoff picture:

• 9. Lakers: 29-37
• 10. Pelicans: 27-40 (2.5 games behind L.A.)
• 11. Spurs: 26-41 (3.5)
• 12. Trail Blazers: 25-40 (3.5)
• 13. Kings: 24-44 (6.0)

Although there's a little bit of margin for error, it's not much and could be erased with even a small-scale losing streak. And with no timetable for Davis to rejoin the lineup and Westbrook ice cold, the pressure will remain firmly on James' shoulders.

The 37-year-old longtime NBA gold standard probably won't capture his fifth MVP trophy, but if he ensures the Lakers at least earn a shot at the playoffs, he'll deserve some recognition.

Malik Monk Earning Bigger Role with Strong Play

Ashley Landis/Associated Press

It took awhile for Monk to find his comfort zone in Los Angeles. He got off to a sluggish start in October, shooting 39.1 percent while playing just 21.7 minutes per game, which caused him to get lost in the rotation a bit until mid-November.

The 24-year-old shooting guard showed signs of progress over the next few months before hitting another lull in February, when his shooting percentage dipped to 40.7 percent for the month.

He's started to find his groove again in early March. He's averaged 16.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.5 steals in six games. He's shooting 47.5 percent from the field and knocking down 3.2 threes per contest at a 45.2 percent clip.

It's a hot streak that comes at a perfect time for the Lakers. As mentioned while talking about LeBron, it's a team that needs all the help it can get, especially offensively, with Davis out of the lineup and Westbrook unable to find his niche at that end of the floor.

In turn, Monk is averaging his highest minutes (33.8) of any month and that's likely to continue for as long as he's in a groove with his shot.

The University of Kentucky product will look to keep rolling Sunday when the Lakers face a tough road test against the Phoenix Suns, who own the NBA's best record at 53-14.