NBA

Knicks benchwarmer Mason spreading Christmas jeer

It was not another ChristMase.

Roger Mason’s best Christmas ever also coincided with his best season — two years ago with San Antonio. He came off the bench after sitting the entire fourth quarter and drained a game-winning 3-pointer with 4.4 seconds left against the Suns.

There haven’t been any magical moments for Mason with the Knicks after being signed as a free agent in August, and he was a DNP again yesterday.

After playing the first three games, averaging just six minutes, Mason was yanked from the rotation and has only been seen in garbage time since.

Mason, who talked of being a leader during training camp, feels coach Mike D’Antoni hasn’t given him a chance. Ironically, team president Donnie Walsh has shopped for another backup point guard.

“Things have been a little different than I imagined, yes,” Mason told The Post in his first remarks on the subject. “I’ll continue to work and be a good teammate and cheer them on and wait for an opportunity. I haven’t really had one yet.”

Mason shot poorly in preseason and has appeared in just eight games. With Toney Douglas banged up with a strained back and shoulder sprain, D’Antoni hasn’t turned to Mason, who runs the point during practice scrimmages.

“I don’t think I was really given an opportunity yet,” Mason said. “In preseason, I didn’t shoot as well as I wanted to. Most preseasons, it takes me to the regular season to get going.

“I’m just hitting the prime of my career,” Mason added. “Ideally, you wouldn’t want to be in scenario where you’re not playing.”

When asked whether he’d play Mason because of his Christmas heroics against his former team, D’Antoni responded: “Who?”

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Raymond Felton
‘s 12 assists gave him his sixth straight double-digit assist total. The franchise record is nine by Michael Ray Richardson
. . . . Rookie Landry Fields
recorded his eighth double-double (14 and 11).

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Timberwolves president David Kahn
, saying he was in town for the holidays, sat with Walsh before the game. Kahn has point guard Sebastian Telfair
on the market and Walsh discussed it with him last week.

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Both D’Antoni and Danilo Gallinari
, veterans of the Italian League, confirmed no games are played on Christmas there.

“No, everyone’s on vacation,” Gallinari said.

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The Knicks were 12 of 22 from 3-point land (54.5 percent). . . . The Knicks blocked at least 10 shots for the sixth time this season, marking first time since 1998-99 they have accomplished that feat.