Not every 45th game in a 12-32 season is the same. Most of them are useless affairs that deserve to be watched in bits between Jeopardy! reruns and local TV news reportages, win or lose. And then there are the games that bring with them some added gravitas, sometimes because of the opposing team, sometimes because of an opposing player, sometimes both.
Last night game was a clear example of this: the Lakers are to be inherently disliked, and as much as you might acknowledge the self-apparent grandiosity of LeBron it’s hard not to feel contempt for the way he carries himself on the court when he steps onto the MSG hardwood.