ROCK AROUND THE BLOCK
HEZONJA STOPS LeBRON TO SEAL WIN
LeBron James hasn’t won the season — and couldn’t even win the Garden.
After electrifying his favorite haunt for three quarters in his f irst Manhattan appearance in purple and gold, James choked it away at the end — a microcosm of a cursed inaugural season in Los Angeles.
James missed his last four shots and got blocked by Mario Hezonja on a driving shot with 2.3 seconds left as the Knicks posted a shocking 124-123 Sunday matinee victory.
Hezonja, who hadn’t played in nearly f ive weeks, got mobbed by his teammates as the reeling Knicks snapped an eight-game losing streak.
“They were pumped,’’ Knicks coach David Fizdale said. “All of them were pumped for Mario since he has been going through his ups and downs.”
James’ 33-point, eight-assist rampage was wasted, disappointing the insane amount of fans proudly wearing their Lakers jerseys.
Hezonja, who told The Post last week he still eyes a long-term Knicks future, isn’t known as a defensive stopper.
“Weird,’’ said Hezonja, who added an eff icient 17 points on just eight shots. “Talking to Scott [Perry, the Knicks GM] and Steve Mills, if you sign me because of this defense, you’d be crazy. I never thought [I’d win a game with a block], but it happens. That’s what NBA teams need to win, and I’m trying my best to be one of those kind of hybrid guys.’’
Add another indignity to this lost Lakers season: getting swept by the league-worst Knicks (14-56), who rallied from an 11-point fourthquarter deficit with a 13-1 run. The Lakers were dealt their eighth loss in nine games to fall to 31-39.
“We didn’t make enough shots down the stretch,’’ said James, who shot 4-of-15 in the fourth quarter and finished 11-of-26 (0-of-6 from 3-point range). “We had all the chances in the world to win the game, but they made the shots down the stretch and won the game. I was just trying to get a good look. Great ‘D’ by Mario. That’s it.”
In the lowlight to his rocky first season as a Knick, Hezonja was available for Friday’s game in San Antonio, but Fizdale never used him in a surprising snub.
But after missing 12 straight games with a bone bruise and having not played a minute in nearly five weeks, Hezonja got the start against the Lakers and was assigned to cover James.
Fizdale has rarely pressed the right button, but did so Sunday.
“I felt he was a guy that could battle [James] athletically,’’ Fizdale said. “I thought Mario would be a good matchup. Credit to Mario. He just did a good job.’’
Age may have been a factor in the end. Hezonja, who just turned 24, is 10 years younger than the 34-year-old King. Did he wear James down?
“If I didn’t, I didn’t do a good job,’’ Hezonja said. “I hope I did. I was picking him up full court for the entire game. Anytime he was with the ball, I tried to get him tired. It was an early game. A weird schedule. If he wasn’t tired — I know he’s a monster — I didn’t do a good job.”
In winning at the Garden for the third time since Dec. 1, the Knicks got 28 points from Emmanuel Mudiay, who hit the game-winning free throws with 22 seconds left, and 25 points from Damyean Dotson, who had pulled the Knicks within one with 37 seconds to go. James followed by bricking a midrange jumper off an inbounds play.
Fizdale had talked coming into the game about Knicks rookie Kevin Knox taking a turn guarding James. It happened on just one possession, but Knox did a good job, forcing James into a missed 3 in the final minute. Knox put forth a lively offensive game, scoring 13 of his 19 points in the first quarter and making eight of 14 shots.
“We had a lot of ups and downs this season — it’s a big-time win,’’ Knox said. “Our first sweep of the season, beat them in LA. It’s a great way to win in the Garden in the last 10 seconds to get a big defensive stop against one of the best players to ever play the game. It was a good way to get a win. Mario’s been through a lot this season.”
With the Lakers headed to one of the most disappointing seasons in their storied history, James couldn’t even enjoy a feel-good Manhattan moment — while Hezonja had his first.