Just when the Lakers’ 2018-19 season looked like it couldn’t get any worse, Sunday’s game against the Knicks happened. The Lakers took a double-digit lead into the final four minutes of the game, leading by 11 with 3.5 minutes to go. It looked like that Los Angeles was going to leave Madison Square Garden with a win despite LeBron’s apparent disinterest. Then, the Lakers completely collapsed. The Knicks closed the game out on a 13-1 run, and LeBron had a chance to win the game at the buzzer only to have his game-winning attempt blocked by Mario Hezonja. But keep an eye on LeBron after the miss. LeBron's attempt to win it is stuffed! The Knicks sweep the season series vs. the Lakers. pic.twitter.com/02SDerVTco — SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 17, 2019 LeBron skipped the customary postgame interactions between players and went straight to the tunnel after the loss. He didn’t offer so much as a glance back to any of his teammates or Knicks players. Earlier in the game, Knicks analyst Clyde Frazier ripped LeBron’s demeanor during a timeout where LeBron sat at the end of the bench — away from his teammates. The end of the game didn’t exactly help LeBron’s cause. The season finale on April 9 can’t come soon enough for LeBron.<doc-sep>LeBron James put on a show for much of Sunday’s matinee affair between the Lakers and Knicks, leading all scorers with 33 points but he and the Lakers were unable to finish what had been mostly positive day. Mario Hezonja blocked LeBron’s attempted game-winner to seal a 13-1 run and give the New York Knicks a 124-123 win over the Lakers. Hezonja guarded LeBron for much of the game and helped keep him scoreless over the final four minutes of the game. While the jokes about the Lakers tanking are certainly there, Luke Walton didn’t approach this game like a tank as he let LeBron James play 35 minutes after he didn’t play above 32 for the past few games. The Lakers had six other players in double figures, including Kyle Kuzma with 18 points. Now the Lakers will go from the NBA’s worst in the Knicks to the league-leading Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night to finish their five-game Eastern Conference road trip.<doc-sep>NEW YORK -- The worst season of LeBron James' career since he was a rookie hit a new low Sunday with James' worst shooting quarter in his 16 years as a pro. In the Los Angeles Lakers' 124-123 loss to the New York Knicks, James not only had his potential game-winning shot blocked in the final seconds by Mario Hezonja but he went 4-for-15 from the field in the fourth quarter -- the 11 missed shots representing the most he has ever missed in a quarter, according to ESPN Stats & Information. After trailing by 11 with 3:44 remaining in the fourth, the Knicks closed on a 13-1 run, with the Lakers going 0-for-6 from the floor -- James accounted for four of those -- and coughing up two turnovers to seal the defeat. It completed a season sweep by a New York team that has a 14-56 record -- worst in the NBA -- making the Lakers the only team out of their 29 opponents the Knicks managed to sweep this season. "It bothers me in the fact we didn't close the game out, and being the competitor that I am, it bothers me that I didn't make enough plays down the stretch; it bothers me that I didn't even get a shot up at the hoop," James said. "Of course that stuff bothers me, but I mean what's the difference between their record and our record? Two teams out of the postseason. So there's no difference. We have a couple more wins than them, but both teams right now are on the outside looking in, so it's not much of a difference." The loss dropped the Lakers to 31-39 -- their exact same record through 70 games as last season when they didn't have James. The .443 winning percentage makes it the worst team James has played on since his Cleveland Cavaliers went 35-47 (.427) his rookie year. James led L.A. with 33 points and eight assists, but prior to the drive on Hezonja, he opted for two long jumpers in the final minutes and finished the game 0-for-6 from 3. Both James and Lakers coach Luke Walton pointed to L.A.'s lack of defensive execution down the stretch, but the offense also stagnated. Asked if the Lakers moved the ball enough in crunch time, James said that indeed they did. "Yeah," he said. "Yeah. Absolutely." It was the second time Hezonja burned the Lakers this season. Back in the Knicks' 119-112 win in Los Angeles on Jan. 4, Hezonja scored 10 points in the fourth quarter. "He just missed shots. Don't get that twisted," Hezonja said Sunday of his defense on James. "He just missed shots. If you are saying you are the reason he's missing shots, you are an idiot. Pretty simple." Still, Hezonja joined a select group of defenders to block James on a go-ahead field goal attempt in the final five seconds of a game. It has only happened six times to James, with Hezonja being the latest after Tobias Harris in January, Mason Plumlee in April 2014, Jimmy Butler in March 2014, John Salmons in February 2013 and Samuel Dalembert in April 2008. Though he got the game-sealing block on LeBron James, Knicks wing Mario Hezonja said "you are an idiot" if you think the worst quarter of James' career was attributable to anything other than the fact that he just missed some shots. Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images Walton defended the looks that James got in crunch time. "He's one of the all-time great players in our league," Walton said. "He understands time and score and everything else. So, he's earned that right to take the shots he feels comfortable with. As opposed to some younger guys, you draw things up and tell them what to look for and tell them where to go at what time. He's earned the right to feel that out and take the shots he feels like are going to be good for him." The Lakers now trail the Clippers by nine games for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference with 12 games left to play. In other words, L.A. might as well turn its full focus to this summer's impending free agency. James was asked what his message would be to players considering joining him with the Lakers. "Listen, at the end of the day this franchise wants to win and wants to win big, and the one thing about the franchise, they cater to the players," he said. "And that's it. Everything else comes secondary, they only want us to go out and perform at a high level and play the game at a high level so we can be mentioned with some of the great teams that's in the league at that point in time. ... "There's a lot of great free agents this summer. Not going to name any names because every time I say something, or our organization says something about a specific person we get in trouble, but we have an opportunity to get better, and that's something that is definitely great to know that, when you have an opportunity to get better from a personnel standpoint." Ian Begley contributed to this report.<doc-sep>LeBron James’ inaugural season with the Los Angeles Lakers has found plenty of lows. Somehow, things got even more embarrassing today. The Lakers lost to the lowly Knicks, 124-123, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The game ended when James had his game-winning shot attempt blocked by Mario Hezonja. Yes, 24-year-old Mario Hezonja just blocked LeBron James at the buzzer at Madison Square Garden to ensure a Knicks’ win over the Lakers. Here’s the play: Mario Hezonja stuffs LeBron for the win, stares him down pic.twitter.com/StBPUDIhOT — Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) March 17, 2019 It was a tough day all around for LeBron, who got called out during the game by Knicks’ analyst Clyde Frazier. “This type of behavior, when you’re the face of the NBA, you should be more a part of your team,” Frazier said. “No matter what is going on. In public, you’ve got to be part of the team. In the locker room you’re not, but you have to exude that type of togetherness in public. And right now we see he doesn’t really care.” Clyde Frazier just absolutely tipping LeBron James pic.twitter.com/bPxksMADBm — The Knicks Wall (@TheKnicksWall) March 17, 2019 Yikes. The Lakers fell to 31-39 with today’s loss to the Knicks, who improved to 14-56 on the season.<doc-sep>
LeBron James has had a fairy-tale first season with the Lakers. Problem is, it’s a gothic fairy tale, and every game provides a fresh chance to wander into the deep, dark woods in search of foreboding gingerbread houses. Sunday’s 124-123 loss to the New York Knicks was especially grim, and it ended when Mario Hezonja locked up LeBron during the final possession and stuffed his attempt at a game-winner. The Lakers have already thrown in the towel on this depressing season, but they still manage to find new ways to capitulate. It’s actually rather impressive. They had a late, 11-point lead over the Knicks on Sunday, and LeBron’s breakaway dunk in the fourth quarter should have sealed things for good. Josh Hart taps it ahead for the LeBron throw down! 31 PTS, 8 AST, 6 REB for LBJ at MSG.#LakeShow 120#NewYorkForever 111 pic.twitter.com/KnzC8LM2qL — NBA (@NBA) March 17, 2019 The Knicks had a 13-56 record heading into Sunday’s game. They want to lose. It’s good for them, as it increases their odds for the upcoming Draft lottery and gives them a better shot at winning the Zion Williamson sweepstakes. This is why they play guys like Mario Hezonja. You’re not supposed to overcome late, double-digit deficits with Mario Hezonja. Nevertheless, the Knicks went on a 13-1 run in the final 3:14 to take a one-point lead against the Lakers. LeBron went 0-4 during that stretch, including the attempt at the death that got Hezonja’d. This is astonishingly bleak stuff for the Lakers, but it has a silver lining. When Mario Hezonja stares down LeBron James in front of a joyous Madison Square Garden crowd, it means the season can’t possibly get any worse.