On January 5, Beijing time, the Lakers defeated the Kings 122-114 at home to achieve a wave of three consecutive wins. In this campaign, Lakers bottom-salary guard Munch started in five consecutive games, scoring 24 points to become the team's second-place scorer.
In this game, Munch played 37 minutes, 8 of 15 shooting, 6 of 11 three-pointers, 2 of 4 free throws, 24 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 1 block, and the three-point shooting was the highest of the season (6 three-pointers against the Kings on December 1).
It is worth mentioning that the Kings' top player Fox is Munch's college teammate, and the two entered the draft in the same year. In this game, Fox's performance is also remarkable. He shot 12-of-21, including 2-of-4 from three-point range and 4-of-4 from the free throw line, and had a team-high 30 points, three rebounds and six assists.
Don't look at Munch scoring only 6 points less than Fox, but the two are in a very different position on their respective teams. In 2017, the University of Kentucky ran in the draft at the same time, with Fox being selected by the Kings with the 5th pick, Munch with the 11th pick by the Hornets, and Adebayor with the 14th pick by the Heat.
Compared to his two college teammates, Munch's first four NBA seasons didn't go well. The Hornets averaged just 9.1 points per game. After the rookie contract expired, Munch was not much pursued by the team, Munch said: "At that time, except for the Lakers, no team seriously considered signing me, which made me very devastated. In the end, Munch signed a one-year, $1.79 million top salary contract with the Lakers.
Fox, on the other hand, is a key development target for the Kings, signing a five-year, $163 million contract extension in advance as early as 2020. This season, Fox is making as much as $28.1 million a year, more than 15 times Munch's annual salary. Although the two are college alumni, the gap in the NBA has actually been widened.
Munch himself knows that if he wants to stay in the league, he must play a highlight performance with the Lakers. Luckily, Munch did well with the Lakers, averaging 11.6 points per game. Munch has averaged 20.8 points per game in the past five games and has become the Lakers' second-place scorer, second only to James.