Knicks feast on McBuckets

THERE is an almost magical quality to Kristaps Porzingis right now, something we haven’t experienced at the Garden since the height of Lin-sanity. Everything, and we mean everything, seems to be working for Porzingis. The more dramatic the moment, the more likely he is to come through. And the Knicks’ desperate fan base is loving every minute of it.

The Knicks managed to get a win without Porzingis needing to score at least 30 points. That’s saying something. Porzingis did, however, produce the goahead 3-pointer with Dwight Howard trying to defend him on the perimeter, which seemed unfair to the former Defensive Player of the Year. Porzingis finished with 28 points, including seven in the final two minutes as the Knicks rallied from 15 points down at home to defeat the Charlotte Hornets, 118-113.

Following an 0-3 start, the Knicks have won six of their last seven entering tonight’s game in Orlando and have their best player performing as well as anybody in the NBA. And that includes guys named LeBron, Durant and Westbrook. James Harden perhaps has the edge over Kristaps, but just to be in that elite group says a lot about the Knicks’ third-year forward.

The Garden crowd chanted “M-V-P” during Porzingis’ postgame interview on the court while conveniently forgetting that Porzingis went scoreless for 15 minutes in the second half. In fact, the Knicks were a minus-15 with Porzingis on the floor after three quarters.

The group that led the comeback included Doug McDermott, Kyle O’Quinn and Lance Thomas. They were the grinders on this night. Porzingis was the closer. Playing center in the final six minutes, Porzingis tied it at 111-111 by knocking down two free throws and then buried the go-head 3-pointer with 1:49 left. Hornets coach Steve Clifford tried to get away with Howard as the primary defender, but once the versatile Porzingis stepped 25 feet from the basket, Howard’s defensive skills were greatly compromised.

These are the moments when All-Star players find to a way to finish the job. Porzingis made 10 of 15 shots and played just 29 minutes. He was 4-for-8 from behind the arc and, after taking a long rest in the second half, he salvaged the night with a strong finish. Hence, the “M-V-P” chants.

Of course, that award only goes to a winning player

DOUG McDermott dropped in some of the most important McBuckets for the Knicks in Tuesday’s comeback victory over Charlotte. In his best game since arriving from Oklahoma City in the Carmelo Anthony blockbuster, McDermott scored a season-high 20 points, nailing seven of eight shots and even converting a rare four-point play during the fourth quarter comeback.

“I’ve felt more comfortable the last few games,” McDermott and, for the Knicks to be taken seriously as a playoff contender, these are the teams — Indiana and Charlotte — they have to beat at home. The Hornets have a terrific point guard, Kemba Walker, and a rookie, Malik Monk ,who knows how to fill up a box score.

They also start Dwayne Bacon at forward, Jeremy Lamb at guard and some might say, unfairly I might add, a turkey at center. Howard is too often perceived to be a once-great player just occupying space. And yet Howard entered the night averaging 14.6 points and 13.6 rebounds. On Tuesday, he had 21 points and nine rebounds in 30 minutes. The big man still has something left.

Heck, if Joakim Noah put up those types of numbers he’d be an All-Star. And Phil Jackson would still be employed by MSG.

Two years ago, the Knicks decided to throw a massive contract at Noah and ignored Howard, who has had the better career and has been the better player the last two seasons.

Noah hasn’t played since last February, but he is eligible to rejoin the team for Monday’s game against the Cavs when his suspension for violating the NBA’s substance abuse policy ends. Noah likely won’t be ready to play, but the Knicks will have to make a roster move to create a spot for him. he most plausible scenario is releasing veteran guard Ramon Sessions. There are reports that second-year forward Mindaugas Kuzminskas could be traded to open a roster spot. Normally, teams wait until after Dec. 15 to made trades; that’s the date when free agents signed last summer are eligible to be moved.

The Suns, however, did move point guard Eric Bledsoe to Milwaukee on Tuesday for Greg Monroe plus a protected first and second-round pick. The Knicks expressed interest in Bledsoe but were unwilling to move rookie Frank Ntilikina, which was the right call.

The Suns at one time had Bledsoe, Isaiah Thomas and Goran Dragic under contract and all three have since been traded. If only the Knicks had those options over the past few years. They did have Jason Kidd, Baron Davis and Chauncey Billups, but all three arrived in the twilight of their respective careers. Billups, who currently works as an analyst for ESPN, watched Tuesday’s game with Steve Mills and Scott Perry.

The Knicks hope Ntilikina can become a top-echelon point guard. He looks promising.

And Porzingis looks great.

Tsaid. “I think a lot of it is guys that haven’t played together a whole lot are getting used to each other.”

Despite Frank Ntilikina’s recently improved play, the Nike billboard of him on a skyscraper across from the Garden has been removed. It supposedly only was scheduled to be on the side of that building for a predetermined time.

Joakim Noah is eligible to return from his 20-game PED suspension (carried over from last spring) on Monday against Cleveland.

With 16 players under contract, the Knicks will have to make a roster move to facilitate the veteran big man’s activation.

Mindaugas Kuzminskas, inactive Tuesday for a 10th straight game, reportedly has been shopped around the league by the Knicks.