NBA

Davis at point guard with Lin out for Knicks

INDIANAPOLIS — Jeremy Lin went under the knife yesterday and Baron Davis went under the microscope.

With Lin’s left-knee surgery completed, it’s Baron or bust for the Knicks. Davis said he’s ready to assume the spotlight as starting point guard the rest of the regular season, vowing to be better than what he has shown so far.

Plagued by a recent hamstring pull that hasn’t healed and stamina issues, Davis has been shoddy since filling in for Lin as starting point guard eight days ago. Davis has averaged four turnovers a game in his last seven.

Now that his spot is no longer temporary because of Lin’s torn meniscus, the scrutiny on Davis will increase tenfold as the Knicks (27-26) try to hold off the Bucks for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot. They lead Milwaukee (25-28), which won 112-98 at Washington last night, by two games as they embark on a two-game road trip, starting tonight in Indiana and ending Thursday in Orlando.

“I’m definitely not happy where my game is,’’ said Davis, who made his Knicks debut Feb. 20 after rehabbing from a herniated disk. “I’m happy where my body is, considering early on I wasn’t sure I’d play basketball again. I definitely know I can get back to my old self and doing the things I’m capable of doing. I may have lost a lot of athleticism, but I can still pass the ball well and run a team and that’s where my focus is.’’

Davis, shooting just 34.5 percent, originally injured the hamstring against the Pacers in March. He sat out three games, admitting he was returning prematurely because of the Knicks’ desperate playoff position. The two days off between games (the Knicks last played Saturday against the Cavaliers) has Davis’ hamstring feeling a tad better.

“Hopefully [regaining my top form] is weeks away,’’ Davis said. “The hamstring was a setback. You don’t have that burst of energy or pop. But I can get my shot off against anybody. I can get to the hole against anybody. It’s just a matter of letting the hamstring heal. I need that little bit of explosiveness I’m lacking now. Once I do that, I can get on a hot streak.”

Davis recommended the club should slow things down from former coach Mike D’Antoni’s speedball. A half-court offense indeed would suit them better without the speedy, penetrating Lin, and with Carmelo Anthony producing inside.

“We have such explosive scorers on this team that playing a grind-it-out half-court game could be to our advantage,’’ Davis said. “I think we’re going to have to grind out a lot of games, especially this month. It probably works better for us to slow the game up, play a possession-type game and run when we have opportunities.’’

Knicks interim coach Mike Woodson is worried about Davis and repeated he wants to keep the veteran’s minutes lower than the normal starter’s haul.

“I can’t play him 30 minutes, 35 minutes [a game],’’ Woodson said. “I just can’t do it. I don’t think he’ll have much left and it might take a day or two for him to recover. He’s getting there, but not there yet.’’

Woodson is more concerned with Davis holding up on defense.

“He’s a crafty veteran,’’ Woodson said. “I feel comfortable enough he can run and execute offensively. More than anything, we got to defend. We’ve got to get better on the ball defensively and not scramble as much.’’

Though Toney Douglas began the season as starting point guard, Davis was always projected to supplant him once he got his back healthy. Then Linsanity raged in early February and the pressure was off Davis. Now it’s back on. Big time.

Davis, who signed after clearing amnesty waivers, said Linsanity was a blessing as it eased his transition. Now?

“I got to be ready,’’ said Davis, a two-time All-Star. “There’s no other choice, no other option. I’ll give it my all, play as smart as I can and try to finish up the regular season as strong as we possibly can.’’

Woodson said for certain the Knicks won’t add another point guard. That could be a sign of optimism Lin can return sooner than six weeks.

With 13 games in 26 days in April, Davis realizes he won’t have a chance to be 100 percent, though he feels he’ll have more “balance’’ tonight after the rest. Mike Bibby, Douglas and rookie Iman Shumpert will be his backups-by-committee.

Davis’ back is fine, but …

“I’ll have to deal with [the hamstring],’’ Davis said. “We’re not getting a lot of rest time. At this point, you got to go with whatever injury you have.’’