Hezonja has statement game after exec trolling

MILWAUKEE — The Knicks should return former Knicks executive Clarence Gaines Jr. to the payroll as a tweet motivator.

After Gaines’ rip of Hezonja’s defense on Twitter, Hezonja came out with his most assertive game as a Knick, scoring 18 points on 8-of-16 shooting and trying to play physical with Bucks big man Giannis Antetokounmpo in a 124-113 loss.

Hezonja, despite Kevin Knox’s ankle injury, had played just nine minutes Saturday against Boston and scored two points. Knicks coach David Fizdale said he’s been on the Croatian since that contest and loved what he saw Monday in Milwaukee.

“He responded to the last game and what we went through and what I tried to get across to him,’’ Fizdale said. “He played an excellent game. I got on him pretty tough in the last game and didn’t bring him back. He dove into getting better. He cleared his head.”

Fizdale said he knows nothing of Gaines’ Twitter stuff. Gaines is the Knicks’ former vice president of player personnel and ex-president Phil Jackson’s right-hand man. Jackson and Gaines passed on Hezonja at No. 4 in the 2015 draft to take Kristaps Porzingis.

Sunday, Gaines ripped Hezonja after he was bypassed by Fizdale, saying he “couldn’t EARN court time vs @celtics with @KevKnox going down it’s because he’s a huge liability as an individual defender. He couldn’t match the toughness or athleticism of the C’s wings.”

“Social media, man,’’ Hezonja said Monday. “I don’t take it serious at all. Funny stuff. I’m not much on Twitter at all. I actually was on the plane. I’m not a guy who spends a lot of time on social media. I’m not like Enes [Kanter]. I don’t give a damn about social media. My season is the focus, not the B.S. on social media.”

After Monday’s loss, Hezonja said he “just wanted to be more aggressive” and in a “help-the-team mentality.’’

In the morning, Fizdale admitted he is working on Hezonja’s defense and didn’t need Gaines to point it out.

“I’m going to challenge him to do more, especially on the defensive end,’’ Fizdale said. “I got total confidence in Mario. We’re breaking habits. We’re building him mentally. There’s a lot of stuff we’re working on. Sometimes he’s going to look great. Sometimes not. You see how I am. If you’re playing well, that’s who I play at the time. If you’re not, you won’t play late game. The last game, that’s what it was with him.”