AN EPIC PHAIL LOST CAUSE

PHIL’S MOVES FLOP AS JENNINGS CUT, NOAH FINISHED NEW-LOOK KNICKS FALL ON MELO’S LATE MISS

Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek and his players didn’t get the email from Phil Jackson they ought to think about tanking.

Before tipoff Monday against the mighty Raptors, Hornacek said angrily, “Who says we’re trying to lose? What does that mean?’’

And they did almost everything not to lose.

In the thrilling end, however, Toronto All-Star DeMar DeRozan became the last-second hero, and Carmelo Anthony fired a blank at the buzzer as the Raptors held on for a 92-91 victory.

The Knicks, who lost a 17point lead to the 76ers before surviving Saturday in the last seconds, blew all of their 17-point lead to the Raptors, who were led by DeRozan’s late-game magic and 37 points.

But the Knicks were within one wide-open Anthony 3-pointer from going home victors, one make from moving to 3 ¹/2 games out of the eighth seed. It marked their ninth loss on final possession since mid-December.

Being that free seemed to jar Anthony. On the play, with the Knicks down one, the Raptors bungled the assignment and Anthony was left alone behind the 3-point stripe. He caught the ball, dribbled once and misfired, the ball rimming out as he disgustedly ripped off his headband and rammed it to the court. He finished with 24 points (9-of-26) one game after hitting the last-second gamewinner against the Sixers.

“I wasn’t expecting to be open like that, it happened, I missed it,’’ Anthony said. “I caught it and looked and didn’t see anybody right there. I was surprised to be that open. It was a wide-open shot. I made one the other day. I should’ve made that shot.’’

Ironically, the razor-close loss to the Eastern Conference power came on the day the Knicks cut veteran Brandon Jennings to make room for rookie Chasson Randle and urged Joakim Noah to undergo likely season-ending knee surgery. Were the moves an indication of surrender?

“The grind don’t stop,’’ Anthony said. “It’s unfortunate what happened with Jo, unfortunate what happened with Brandon. I’ll stay out of that one. We have to keep supporting [Noah]. With Brandon, I have no clue what transpired.’’

Now the Knicks, at 24-36, are 4½ games out of the eighth seed.

“It’s devastating but we still have a chance — only way we can look at it,’’ said Derrick Rose, who finished with 16 points, including a game-tying floater with 33.3 seconds left.

It was a back-and-forth thriller in the final three minutes as DeRozan became unstoppable. Off an inbounds pass after Rose’s bucket, DeRozan split Rose and Courtney Lee for a driving layup to give the Raptors a 90-88 lead with 30.9 seconds to play.

After a Lee 3, the Knicks had a foul to give but DeRozan got Rose as his defender on a switch. The Raptors guard sized him up and fired it in over the shorter point guard from the left elbow with 1.9 seconds left for a one-point lead. DeRozan skipped downcourt with a knowing grin.

“It was good D but better O,’’ Rose said.