Video: LeBron James Has Buzzer Beater Blocked, Records Worst Quarter in NBA Career

LeBron James's season went from bad to worse as he recorded his poorest shooting figures in a quarter in his professional career and had a potential game-winning shot blocked in the final seconds on Sunday.

With the Los Angeles Lakers trailing by a point against the New York Knicks at the Madison Square Garden, the three-time NBA champion drove to the basket, but his shot was blocked by Mario Hezonja with just over four seconds on the clock.

The play condemned the Lakers to a 124-123 loss as the Knicks swept the season series. Los Angeles has now lost three games in a row and slipped to 31-39 for the season, the same record at this stage of the season they had a year ago. Crucially, the Lakers did not have LeBron back then but little seems to have changed despite the 34-year-old's arrival in California in July.

The Lakers have won 44.3 percent of their games this season, the worst winning percentage in LeBron's career since the Cleveland Cavaliers won 42.7 percent of their games in his rookie season in the league.

Against the Knicks, the four-time MVP finished with 33 points and eight assists but endured a dismal fourth quarter, converting just four of his 15 shots from the field. According to ESPN Stats & Information, the 11 missed shots are the most LeBron has ever missed in a quarter since turning professional 16 years ago.

The Lakers missed their last six shots from the floor as the Knicks roared back with a 13-1 run in the final four minutes. James accounted for four of those missed shots but Lakers coach Luke Walton defended him.

"He's one of the all-time great players in our league," he told ESPN. "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."

Hezonja was just as magnanimous, suggesting he did not deserve credit for stopping LeBron. "He just missed shots. Don't get that twisted," the Knicks forward was quoted as saying by the Associated Press. "He just missed shots. If you are saying you are the reason he's missing shots, you are an idiot. Pretty simple."

LeBron could not hide his frustration at the miss but suggested the loss was not particularly upsetting as both teams were out of the postseason.

"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," he explained. "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."

Things don't get any easier for the Lakers as they travel to Milwaukee on Tuesday to take on the current number one seed in the Eastern Conference.