Every time you think the Lakers have reached rock bottom they break out the jackhammer and find a way to dig deeper.
On Sunday, L.A. found new lows in the form of blowing a late double-digit lead in Madison Square Garden to the lowly Knicks to lose 124-123. The Lakers led by 11 with 3:45 to play, and it seemed as though they would avoid the embarrassment of losing to the Knicks. However, after taking that 122-111 lead, L.A. would allow New York to go on a 13-1 run the rest of the way, resulting in an absolutely stunning loss that was capped off in the most improbable of ways.
LeBron James missed his final three shots of the game, a three-pointer, a contested 22-foot long two, and, after Emmanuel Mudiay gave New York a one-point lead after sinking two free throws, got stuffed on a fadeaway on the left block by Mario Hezonja. Yes, you read that correctly.
MARIO HEZONJA BLOCKS LEBRON JAMES, KNICKS WIN https://t.co/DUcYdj9zaQ
— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) March 17, 2019
Hezonja, truly, played pretty tremendous 1-on-1 defense on James for much of the fourth quarter, preventing James from getting to the rim with ease as he so often does. The former fifth-overall pick forced James into tough shots down the stretch and LeBron wasn’t able to come up with his typical late-game magic.
Any slim hope of the Lakers mounting a near impossible comeback to make the playoffs died on Sunday at the hands of Hezonja and the Knicks, which honestly is a fitting end for this year’s Lakers team.
