Skid hits 8 with lifeless loss to Mavs

Kristaps Porzingis, who was back at the Garden for the first time since tearing his ACL, received a pregame ovation from the crowd, but nothing changed. The Knicks’ tank rolled on and now more lottery pingpong balls suddenly have come into view.

Enes Kanter was back starting at center, but the Knicks lost their eighth straight game and 16th in their last 17 tries with a 110-97 laydown Tuesday night against the equally woeful Mavericks at the Garden.

At 20 games below .500, the Knicks (24-44) are a half-game ahead of the Bulls. The Knicks currently are the ninth seed in the lottery, but can improve their chances for the eighth spot if they lose to the Bulls on Monday at the Garden. Tuesday’s loss put the Knicks only two games ahead of the Mavericks (22-46), who are the seventh lottery seed.

This particular defeat won’t fall under commissioner Adam Silver’s scrutiny, as it showed the severe lack of talent on the Knicks’ roster and coach Jeff Hornacek’s inability to get his team ready for third quarters.

“I don’t know if the third quarter is in their heads now,’’ Hornacek said. “The shots are tentative. It may be a mental block.’’

After the Knicks took a 60-57 halftime lead, the Mavericks staged a 19-0 run during the third quarter to go up 78-64. The Knicks scored just four points in the first 10 minutes of the quarter and were outscored 26-12 for the period.

The season’s second showdown between point guards Dennis Smith Jr. and Frank Ntilikina wasn’t much of a battle. Smith, who was passed on by the Knicks in the 2017 draft, won this one with 17 points while Ntilikina had four in 16 minutes. Neither player, however, had much of a positive impact despite Smith’s final-minute, violent dunk off a fast break that had the Garden oohing and aahing.

Harrison Barnes scored 30 points and Dirk Nowitzki, in perhaps his last game at the Garden, had 13 for Dallas.

During the third quarter, new Knicks starting point guard Emmanuel Mudiay was a mess, committing two straight turnovers, including throwing the ball away on a fast break, and generally running a disjointed attack. Mudiay had 10 points, two assists and three turnovers.

Trey Burke (16 points) was the point guard when the Knicks staged a fourth-quarter rally from 14 points downto get within four in the final minutes before folding again. Burke scored 12 consecutive Knicks points.

MAVERICKS 110 KNICKS 97