NBA

Hurting Carmelo plays worst game of season in loss

Say it ain’t so, Carmelo?

The team with nine lives couldn’t survive Carmelo Anthony’s nine turnovers, nor his botched final possession and his worst game of the season.

Afterward, Anthony said he was hampered by a sore right shoulder, which Tyson Chandler and Amar’e Stoudemire both said they were unaware of. At this juncture of the season, everyone is hurting.

The Knicks’ playoff hopes were dealt a massive blow as Anthony suffered at the Garden and the Wizards survived a 90-89 thriller.

Anthony posted a season-low 10 points, shot 5-of-14, and his nine turnovers marked his high as a Knick. Anthony said his passes weren’t crisp, but he still managed eight rebounds, five assists and four steals.

“It happened in the Brooklyn game [Wednesday],’’ Anthony said. “Today was [a] lingering effect on it. Throughout the course of the game, I had no strength on the passes, causing turnovers. Things like that. Hopefully I’ll be all right.’’

The Knicks’ playoff chances aren’t all right any longer. The Knicks (33-44) fell one game behind Atlanta, which beat Cleveland. The Knicks trail the Hawks by two in the loss column with five games to play, including what shapes up as a must-win in Miami on Sunday.

“It’s a tough loss, man,’’ Anthony added. “I wish I could’ve done better, played better. For the most part, my teammates did what they had to do. J.R. [Smith] had a phenomenal game. I wish I could’ve rewarded that.’’

Anthony muffed the final possession as he drove in the lane off a pick from Stoudemire and the ball popped out. The loose ball was batted out to Smith, keeping Anthony from his 10th turnover. But Smith’s desperation 3 at the buzzer missed badly to the left.

“I felt like I lost the ball,’’ Anthony said. “That was it. Maybe just not having the strength putting the ball down and getting the dribble I wanted.’’

The bitter ending spoiled another big night from the resurgent Smith, who notched 32 points, making 12-of-23 shots, including 8-of-16 3-pointers. He cooled off in the end, but there was second-guessing the ball should’ve been put in Smith’s hands on the last possession considering Anthony’s bum shoulder.

“No matter who’s got it going, I always want the last shot,’’ Smith said. “That’s what I do. I always want the last shot.’’

Anthony could be seen wincing in the first half and even called a timeout late in the half because he was in pain.

“It gave out on me one time,’’ Anthony said. “It’s frustrating.’’

Mike Woodson asked him if he wanted to come out at one point, but Anthony refused.

“It wasn’t no way I was coming out,’’ Anthony said. “Under these circumstances, the dogfight we’re in, no way I was coming out.’’

The game-winner was scored by Bradley Beal, who finished with 28 points, and also beat the Knicks on a last-second game-winner earlier in the season.

Raymond Felton, taking a crosscourt feed from Anthony, had given the Knicks a one-point lead when he drilled a 3-pointer from the left side with 33.5 seconds left.

But Beal scored the other way after a timeout, bagging a 12-footer over Tyson Chandler after losing Iman Shumpert on a pick with 22.9 seconds to go.

Anthony couldn’t get any rhythm. Before the game, Woodson raved about Anthony, saying to never point a finger at him for the Knicks’ losing season.

With 1:02 left, Anthony threw the ball away, trying to feed Tim Hardaway Jr. in the corner. Anthony broke his second-half scoring drought by hitting a jumper to make it 83-82. But on the next possession Anthony committed an offensive foul for his seventh turnover.

Now it may be Miami or bust. And Anthony will play.

“We’ve been up against the wall this whole time,’’ Anthony said. “Miami is another team we got to go in for another dogfight and try to get that win. We got some pretty good wins on the road. We got five games left to try to make this happen.”

“It’s a tough loss but we still have a chance to make the playoffs,’’ Felton added.