HOUSTON — This was Lindefensible.
With all of the magical qualities Linsanity was supposed to possess, who knew one of them would be getting the Knicks to stop playing any defense?
The Knicks may well be better off without Jeremy Lin, but certainly not Friday night in a 131-103 disgrace to the Rockets at Toyota Center.
Coach Mike Woodson went Linsane on the club afterward in the locker room, greeting the media late after telling his squad its defensive display was “unacceptable.’’
At the sight of Lin, the Knicks acted as if they saw a ghost. They lost their cool and defensive composure and forgot they had to guard the Rockets’ second-year standout Chandler Parsons.
“This is unacceptable … awful, awful,’’ Woodson said. “I saw the same thing you did — nothing. They beat us every way you can beat a team. I know throughout the course of a year you have games like this, but it’s not acceptable. We weren’t ready to play, and that’s on me.’’
The slumping Lin had an effective game, scoring 13 points with seven rebounds and three assists, but his Rockets teammates clearly were trying to win one for him. Parsons messed up the Knicks for 31 points — 26 in the first half. James Harden led the Rockets with 33 as the Knicks allowed 40 points more than their season average (91.4). The Knicks have been Texas toast the past two games, allowing 114 in Dallas on Wednesday.
“They’re playing so well, they’re an elite team,” Lin said of the Knicks. “They might be playing as well as any team in the league. To play this way against a team like that tells you how good we can be.”
The Knicks fell to 8-3, suffering their first two-game losing streak of the season — and their first regular-season losing skid in the Woodson era.
“They kicked our butts for four quarters,’’ said Tyson Chandler, who had a soft defensive game. “We got to be concerned. That team isn’t better than us. They’re not 30 points better than us. I take responsibility.”
Carmelo Anthony roared to a game-high 37 points, but found himself again in foul trouble, picking up his third late in the first half as the floodgates opened when he came out. Anthony also was involved in one of their lowest moment in the third quarter. Believing he got fouled after driving to the basket, Anthony ran downcourt yelling at a referee while Patrick Patterson went in for a fastbreak dunk. Anthony was oblivious and picked up a technical on the play.
“Maybe I got to do a better job of not being so frustrated and accepting the fact it’s how it’s going to be,’’ he said.
Anthony, however, did show sportsmanship after the defeat, staying on the court to hug and congratulate Lin on the victory. The only others Knicks to do so were Steve Novak and the injured Iman Shumpert.
“[I did it] because I don’t have a problem with him,’’ Anthony said. “That was my teammate. He’s a cool guy. I don’t have problems with him as a person.”
Raymond Felton, Lin’s successor, finished with 17 points despite missing his first four shots, but was a non-factor.
“I don’t think he’s playing with any pressure at all,’’ Anthony said of Lin. “All the pressure was being in New York. Guys like Parsons and Harden can talk a little bit of pressure off Jeremy. I’m pretty sure he was excited about this game, winning this game.’’
Missing Rasheed Wallace, out with a sore foot, the Knicks were putrid on defense, allowing a 72-point first half. Chandler had one of his weakest games as a Knick, destroyed by Omer Asik (18 points, 14 rebounds). Out of frustration, Chandler committed a flagrant foul in the second half, clocking Asik in the throat with his elbow.
After Lin hit a 3-pointer in the final seconds of the third quarter, the Rockets point guard hit ex-Knick Toney Douglas with a bullet pass at the left wing and Douglas drained another trey. The buzzer sounded and Lin and Douglas shared a laugh.
An NBA all-rookie second-teamer, Parsons was averaging 14.3 points entering the game before he lit up Space City. Parsons finished with an astounding 26 points in the first half on 11-of-13 shooting and the Rockets led 72-57 at halftime.
“We weren’t really focused on Lin,’’ Jason Kidd said. “We were more focused on the two guys that got going, Harden and Parsons. Those two guys were playing at a high level, not the other way around.’’
marc.berman@nypost.com