NBA

Knicks’ playoff chances likely burned with Miami loss

MIAMI — Carmelo Anthony’s arm looks as dead as the Knicks’ playoff hopes. It’s time to start looking at magic numbers for elimination rather than finding any Anthony magic in South Beach.

Appearing mentally worn out and physically impaired, a sore-shouldered Anthony disappeared for the second straight game, managing just 13 points as LeBron James dominated and carried the Heat to a 102-91 victory at AmericanAirlines Arena.

The chances of a Knicks-Heat first-round battle now look as slim as a 40-degree day in South Beach, with the tragic number — any combination of Knicks losses and Hawks wins — down to three after Atlanta’s 107-88 victory over the Pacers on Sunday night.

“Coming into the game this morning, it felt all right,’’ Anthony said. “But throughout the course of the game, it felt like a dead arm at times. It’s a tough afternoon overall.

“It’s bad timing. Knowing our situation, trying to fight for a playoff spot, knowing I that I can’t be myself at this moment. That’s the frustrating part. ‘’

Anthony didn’t attempt a shot in the fourth quarter, becoming a bystander as J.R. Smith set the franchise record for 3-point makes (10) and an NBA record for 3-point attempts (22).

Though his shooting form looked OK, Anthony played timidly and finished 4-of-17 shooting with six assists. In the last two games, he has shot 9-of-31 and was nothing more than a decoy when the Knicks sliced a 15-point deficit to six in the fourth on Sunday.

The Knicks fell two games behind the Hawks. The Knicks have four games remaining — two against the Raptors and one each against the Nets and Bulls — and probably need to go 4-0 to get in or Anthony will miss the playoffs for the first time in his career with free agency looming.

“Our fate is almost in Atlanta’s hands,’’ said Anthony, who had one turnover after having nine against Washington on Friday. “It’s tough. We got to watch this week and hope and pray they lose some games and we got to win some basketball games. That’s frustrating too, knowing my fate is in somebody else’s hands.”

The Knicks have four days off before facing Toronto on Friday. Anthony said he hopes the layoff allows his treatment to take effect. The Knicks have called the injury a shoulder strain while Anthony has called it a deep bruise, saying he’s had an X-ray but won’t need an MRI exam. He said it’s “not pain, just uncomfortable.’’

In the second half, Anthony rarely fought for position in the post, virtually giving up.

“As the game went on, trying to bang with those guys, physically I didn’t have it,’’ Anthony said. “It felt weird for me because I’m a physical guy. I always tried to fight back in the post. As the game went on, it was something I lost.’’

In the playoffs against Indiana last May, Anthony played through a torn shoulder. He doesn’t believe it’s as bad an injury, but this time it’s his shooting arm.

“It’s different,’’ Anthony said. “Last year I was able to adjust as time went on. I still had my shooting arm. This year it’s my right shoulder. I do a lot with that shoulder — shoot. My strength comes from that. When you don’t have that, it takes away everything physically.’’

Smith picked up the slack and led a fourth-quarter rally, finishing with 32 points. He notched 5 3-pointers in the fourth quarter.

“Anthony is never a decoy,’’ Woodson said. “J.R. had it going in the game and Anthony was being double-teamed so he had to sacrifice the ball. [But] he’s hurting a little bit.’’

Anthony stopped shooting when he missed badly with 13 seconds left in the third quarter when he should have held for a final shot off an inbounds pass. Anthony’s miss resulted in James capping the third with a conventional three-point play — a driving layup and a foul as the Knicks failed to get back in transition.

“I tried in that third quarter,’’ Anthony said. “I think Ray [Felton] passed to me for a wide open 3 and I almost shot an airball. From that point on, I was trying to figure it out.’’

The two-time defending champs were missing Dwyane Wade, resting his nagging hamstring injury for the sixth straight game, and were without reserve big man Chris Anderson (knee), but the Knicks couldn’t take advantage.

The Knicks also needed a lot more out of rookie Tim Hardaway Jr., who had his second straight awful outing in Miami. Hardaway went scoreless — 0-for-7 in 12 minutes. Mike Woodson eventually benched him.

James, meanwhile, was a runaway freight train and burned the Knicks for 38 points on 22 shot attempts. He was 13-of-22 from the field and 9-of-12 on free throws. Mostly, he burned the Knicks on powerhouse drives but also buried three 3-pointers.

The Knicks opened the game with great energy and seized a 16-3 lead. But with Anthony playing with one arm, Smith couldn’t do it alone.

“He’s fighting through it,” Raymond Felton said. “He’s the type of guy who wants to play with it, a guy whose going to fight through injuries no matter what.’’