SOME TRI-ING TIMES

Thinks anthony is oK with brother

They hugged when reunited at the opener in OKC, a symbolic passing of the torch.

So it was surprising when Porzingis’ brother and agent, Janis, said in a Latvian publication that they protested the exit interview because, “It should have been a task for the team’s leaders, but Melo and people around him never tried to change anything.”

That line was translated from Latvian and part of a much larger story that was published in early November. Porzingis has said the comments were “taken out of context” and the meaning was lost in translation.

Regarding his potential matchup with Anthony on Saturday, Porzingis just hopes he can play. The 22-year-old suffered a knee injury in Thursday’s win over the Nets and is awaiting test results.

“I haven’t thought about it that much. I was focused on this game (against the Nets),” Porzingis said. “It will definitely be different to see Melo playing at the Garden with a different uniform. It will be interesting. I hope to be healthy by then.”

Anthony wasn’t the problem with the Knicks. It was the system.

That was the sentiment relayed by Courtney Lee, who said New York’s early success would be duplicated if Anthony was never traded.

“If Melo was here, we would’ve made that adjustment with him,” Lee said. “So you can’t just pinpoint it at him and say, ‘Well he left and we made these adjustments.’ The style of play was going to be different from last year regardless.”

Anthony’s legacy as a Knick is complicated, and so too is the question of how much his absence is responsible for spinning the franchise in a positive direction. It’s obvious that, at the very least, it has allowed more opportunities for Kristaps Porzingis to become the featured player. The Knicks were stuck in a rut with Anthony leading the franchise. The struggles of his new team, the Thunder, only reinforce the idea that he can drag down an offense.

But it’s also true that before Phil Jackson and the triangle arrived, Anthony carried the team to heights it hadn’t reached since the 90s. Over just 412 games, he rose to seventh on the franchise’s all-time scoring list.

So as Anthony makes his return to the Garden on Saturday, the tone of his embrace remains uncertain: will he be cheered? Booed? Celebrated eventually by having his jersey retired?

“I think it will be a mixed reaction,” Lee said. “I think it will be more cheers than anything, man.”

Anthony not only managed to outlast Jackson in New York, he obliterated the former team president in the PR battle. In that regard, he left the impression he was forced out of New York, not the other way around.

His return to the Garden is creating high ticket prices on the secondary market, an average of $590 as of Friday morning, according to TicketIQ.com.