Burke at best when he plays like himself

ORLANDO, Fla. — Knicks point guard Trey Burke believes he’s found himself.

Burke was on a serious roll on the court in the Big Easy, and then off the court late Friday. He lit up the locker room with a fiery plea that the club must stop being satisfied with taking playoff teams deep into the fourth quarter and instead starting winning those games.

He also reflected on his own season, which took a positive bend by the Mississippi River.

After not playing in three of the prior four games, Burke erupted for 24 points in the 129-124 loss to the Pelicans. Burke said he’s figured out what was missing from his game that carried him to new heights last season.

“When my number’s called, I can’t be something I’m not,’’ Burke said. “I have to be the guard that I am. Coach [David Fizdale] told me to attack. That’s what I’m going to do. I can’t try to please being someone I’m not. That’s what I did earlier in the season. For this team to win, I have to be the Trey Burke everyone knows I can be.”

Indeed, if the Knicks are to win, Burke, who began the season as the starting point guard and ended last season in that role, needs to play. Fizdale, however, is caught in an uneasy spot in trying to develop two younger lottery-pick point guards in Frank Ntilikina, 20, and Emmanuel Mudiay, 22. Burke, a lottery pick in 2013, is an old man by comparison, at 26.

Until Friday, Burke hadn’t shown the dash he often displayed last season after he signed in January after lighting up the G-League.

“[I was] being conservative, letting the game come to me,’’ Burke said. “Not attacking immediately. Naturally I’m a scoring point guard. When I attack it’s not always for me to score, it creates for others to. I wasn’t doing that.

“Earlier in the season, I was settling too much for jump shots. Having time to reflect how I was effective last season and different spurts throughout my career, I was always in attack mode and having fun and getting in the paint.

“We didn’t win but it’s a game I can build on,’’ Burke said.

Fizdale is set to continue with the three-rookie starting lineup in Orlando. Mudiay- Tim Hardaway Jr.-Allonzo Trier make up a three-guard alignment with Kevin Knox-Mitchell Robinson up front. The unit got the Knicks off to a 22-12 start after seven minutes.

“After tonight I can’t switch this one up,’’ Fizdale said. “I have to see if they can keep some consistency.’’