NBA

Melo rallies Knicks with 19 in final frame

Carmelo Anthony couldn’t explain yesterday’s malaise through three quarters other than the Christmas music at halftime putting him into a holiday stupor.

But this time, despite more calls going against him, instead of getting himself ejected, he took off like a reindeer with a 19-point fourth quarter to eject the Timberwolves, 94-91, and bring his own holiday cheer to the Garden.

Anthony finished with 33 points and scored the club’s last 12 — all in the final 3:04 after picking up his fifth foul. It was some prelude to Christmas Day’s showdown against the Lakers in Los Angeles.

“The music at halftime they were playing, the Christmas carols put us to sleep a little bit,’’ Anthony said. “We bounced back and the crowd got into it. We were down, didn’t have no energy, then they threw the ‘chestnuts are roasting’ on us.’’

He could joke about it, but it was no laughing matter as he waded through a rough, foul-plagued night with just 14 points on 5-of-17 shooting through three quarters. Then two questionable calls went against him down the stretch. Anthony didn’t lose it like he has at other times this season.

“It was a MVP performance at the end,’’ coach Mike Woodson said. “When he got the fifth foul, it was like a light went off.’’

Anthony shot just 10-of-25 but made 10 of 11 free throws, including six straight in the final 31 seconds during which he heard more “MVP!’’ chants.

And now he’ll hear fewer “MVP’’ chants and more Christmas music tomorrow in L.A. when he duels Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and former coach Mike D’Antoni.

“If we don’t get excited for this game then I don’t know what game we should get excited for,’’ Anthony said.

Certainly they weren’t too pumped for the Timberwolves (13-12) and fell behind 11 points in the second half before rallying to complete a 4-2 homestand and picking up their 20th win.

Anthony got hot midway through the fourth, converting two nice finishes on hard drives against Andrei Kirilenko.

“It was a matter of just getting it going,’’ Anthony said. “The first half we were sluggish. We had no momentum, no energy. Our legs weren’t there. We didn’t want this to be one of those games we looked back and said we shouldn’t have lost.’’

Anthony nearly got derailed by two straight whistles, one game after he was ejected for receiving two technical fouls in Friday’s loss to the Bulls, though the second was later rescinded by the league.

First Anthony’s pull-up jumper was nullified by an offensive foul. Replays showed he accidently nicked Kirilenko in the face as he beat him off the dribble. Next he was called for a loose-ball foul as Luke Ridnour shot an airball that sailed out of bounds and Anthony was trying to box out. It was his fifth foul. Fans booed, Anthony looked stunned and Woodson picked up a technical foul while objecting.

But Anthony didn’t go off on the refs, just the T’wolves.

“Because I knew I wasn’t wrong out there,’’ Melo said. “That foul, the holding foul, it is what it is. At that point, it’s a matter of keeping my composure in the game, get it going offensively, defensively. I wanted to give my teammates enough confidence to know I was out here with five fouls, I’m playing and doing what I have to do to stay out on the court.’’

He proceeded to bury a wide-open left-wing 3-pointer. After a Raymond Felton steal, Anthony came down, took Kirilenko off the dribble and hit a spinning shot in the lane while getting fouled. He made the free throw to give the Knicks an 88-86 lead.

“I was just trying to take what was working for myself, even I didn’t have it in the first half — momentum, legs, fatigue,’’ he said.

The Knicks were outrebounded 47-35. Tyson Chandler had 16 points and nine rebounds one game after his ejection against the Bulls. J.R Smith added 19 points, seven assists and five boards.

“A Sunday afternoon game, Christmas is around the corner, going on the road [next],’’ Chandler said. “These are the kind of games you lose.’’

But not when Anthony comes to the rescue.