Walton: Jackson didn’t deserve to be fired

Lakers coach Luke Walton won’t use the triangle with the Lakers but wished it had worked in New York and wasn’t “in favor’’ of Phil Jackson’s termination last June.

Walton, whom Jackson wanted to make his coach after the 2015-16 season, said he’s been in contact with the Zen Master recently.

“Someone who means as much to me as Phil does — I’m not in favor of [his f iring] happening,’’ Walton said before the Knicks’ 113-109 overtime win over the Lakers on Tuesday. “But coaching on the West Coast I’m not around to see how and why everything played out the way it did.”

Walton, who won three titles as a Lakers forward under Jackson, got some coaching advice recently.

“I still reach out to him,’’ Walton said. “I talked to Phil two weeks ago with some questions I had for him. He gave me good advice.

“I played under Kurt [Rambis] for a lot of years. There were people out here I wanted to see succeed. I love the triangle offense. I wanted to see that work. But for whatever reason it didn’t.”

Jeff Hornacek said Lonzo Ball and Frank Ntilikina have similar adjustments to make to the NBA as rookie 19-year-old point guards — despite one playing in France, the other at UCLA.

“I think he’s done f ine,’’ Hor- nacek said. “Young guys in this league, it’s tough. It’s tough especially in the point-guard position. [Lonzo] can pass the ball. Shooting, that’s going to come with practice in years. We’ve seen guys struggle to shoot the ball early and then they figure it out. He’s probably doing what any 19-year-old kid in this league is doing. He’s doing all right.’’

Hornacek said Ntilikina, who scored 13 points with five assists and five rebounds off the bench Tuesday, didn’t come from a high-paced team in France.

“Frank’s team wasn’t high tempo but he said when he was 15, 16 he played on a team that was getting up and down the court,’’ Hornacek said. “Frank’s pushing it when we need him to. But without him especially, we’re not a fly-the-ball-up-thecourt team.’’

“He’s a student of the game. He actually said during a game, ‘Hey coach, we can do this, and have him come off in the other direction.’ I’m like, ‘All right.’ That’s how a point guard should be thinking. He’s finding that balance when to shoot, drive and pass.”