Future still bright for slumping KP

KP6 became KP Sit.

The Garden crowd didn’t like the fact rookie sensation Kristaps Porzingis was pulled out of the game with 7:22 left in the fourth quarter Monday night and did not return until the 1:07 mark when the game was lost.

They were chanting “Porzingis,’’ but Derek Fisher had made up his mind and thought the rookie was not strong enough to handle Magic center Nikola Vucevic.

Did strength really matter at that point since Vucevic was destroying Robin Lopez?

Vucevic finished with a gamehigh 26 points as the Magic snapped the Knicks fourgame winning streak, leading wiretowire in a 10799 victory.

This is a tough opponent for the Knicks because Orlando plays strong defense and is quicker where it counts at the guard play.

Porzingis has been in a shooting slump, but has been doing many of the little things right and Monday night Fisher elected to keep him on the bench late in the fourth quarter as the Magic pulled away after leading 9794.

Evan Fournier put a move on Jerian Grant and sank a 3 to move the lead to six, and the Magic never looked back.

Future Porzingis will be stronger and by then Fisher figures to not have the strength excuse to sit the 7foot3 player.

Porzingis has said all along he is not a project. He is a player who can contribute every night but on this night, Fisher didn’t want to go with his rookie.

Porzingis knows he is more of a power forward, but he has played center in the fourth quarters.

Asked if he felt could he have handled Vucevic, he noted there are several ways to defend.

“Strengthwise I still need to get stronger to really hold that guy, but I think I can use my activity and my aggressiveness on the defense in the post when he is trying to receive,’’ Porzingis said. “Robin is a more of a guy who can hold him. I’m more of a guy who can dance around him and maybe get a steal here or there.

“That’s my game now because I am not able to hold those guys yet, but I’m putting in a lot of work now and I’ll put in a lot of work in the offseason too. Next season, hopefully I’ll be more prepared to play at the five.’’

That is what you want to hear. That is what is going to set Porzingis apart.

“As long as we are playing good basketball, it doesn’t matter who is on the floor,’’ Porzingis said.

But you could see he didn’t want any part of sitting and will make the necessary changes.

He will grow his game in many ways.

“My shot is feeling fine, it’s just not falling,’’ said Porzingis, who is searching for answers. “Maybe I’m a little offbalance, maybe I need to take my time a little bit more. Maybe I need to be focused a little more. Maybe all those little things add up.’’

Porzingis still has other abilities. He blocked four shots and did grab six rebounds.

In 25 minutes, Porzingis missed nine of 12 shots, including 1for6 from 3point land. He has hit the rookie wall and is going to have to find a second wind.

Lance Thomas was on fire, hitting all nine of his shots.

“We were playing the whole game from behind and it was really hard to come back,’’ Porzingis said.

“We were trying, we were almost there, just maybe some of those missed shots from me and the other guys, the turnovers that made the difference. “They’re a team that can stretch the floor. They have a great big man, Nick Vucevic, he had a great game and they were hitting important shots at important moments.

“Of course I always want to be on the floor but that is a decision coach made. “There will be moments like this always in your career, it’s how you come back from games like this.’’

KP6 will come back stronger and better from this experience. He has the will.