KNICKS RALLY TO BEAT MAGIC WITHOUT INJURED CARMELO ANTHONY

The Knicks aren’t officially playing for more lottery combinations yet, but their chances of winning that may be better than their odds of making the playoffs.

“It’s getting slimmer and slimmer,” Derrick Rose said.

That doesn’t mean the Knicks are going to stop trying, though.

Playing without Carmelo Anthony because of a knee injury, the Knicks fell behind 11-0 and 22-8. Just when it appeared the Knicks were trying to better their chances of getting a higher draft pick, the Knicks said no tanks.

They opened the fourth on a 23-4 run and pulled away from the Magic, 113-105. It was the Knicks’ first victory without Anthony since the 2014-15 season.

The Knicks (26-38) remain in 12th place, 5 1/2 games out of the last playoff spot in the East with 18 games to play.

Down 92-85 to start the fourth, the Knicks outscored the Magic 2813 over the final 12 minutes. They did it without Rose playing in the fourth and newly signed rookie guard Chasson Randle playing the entire quarter.

Seven Knicks scored in double figures led by Courtney Lee’s 20. Kyle O’Quinn played a huge role against his former team with 11 points and eight rebounds, all coming in the fourth. He shot 5-for-6.

O’Quinn hadn’t played until there were 20 seconds left in the third and only because Willy Hernangomez left the game after getting hit in the eye by Bismack Biyombo. Lance Thomas had 17 points and Kristaps Porzingis and Hernangomez each had 14.

Randle had seven points, five rebounds and five assists in 26 minutes.

Evan Fournier’s 25 points paced the Magic (23-41). Elfrid Payton finished with a triple-double: 16 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists.

Anthony missed the game with what the Knicks called a sore left knee. But his absence increased the speculation that the Knicks have begun tanking in hopes of getting in the top five of the draft.