NBA

‘I wanted to cry’: Pained French center erupts to carry Knicks

Knicks center Kevin Seraphin carried a heavy heart into Sunday’s matinee against the Pelicans. He made a statement with his hairstyle and, finally, on the court with his dynamic play.

The French Guiana native had “PARIS’’ — with the A replaced by an Eiffel Tower — and a Peace sign shaved into the back of his hair — the touching work of his barber who did the job in an hour flat Sunday morning to have him ready for the Garden noon start.

“I woke up early,’’ Seraphin said. “I just wanted to do something creative and do different, not just put something on my shoes. I had no time to make a tattoo. Do something creative.”

Seraphin’s disappointing start to his Knicks career took an uplifting turn in the second half. It came out of nowhere, and it came against Pelicans superstar Anthony Davis.

Seraphin didn’t play at all Friday and was benched in the first half Sunday before Derek Fisher turned to him. Seraphin, with slick passes and smooth post moves, racked up 12 points, three rebounds and two assists in the second half to repel the Pelicans in a 95-87 Knicks’ victory.

Seraphin made 6 of 8 buckets as the Knicks pulled away from the pesky Pelicans (1-9).

“It’s difficult for sure,’’ Seraphin said of the aftermath of the Friday Paris terror attacks. “Just crazy out there. There’s nobody out on the street. It’s scary because my family, my mom, my dad live in Paris. But you can’t be scared of it, just fight through it. I play for the Knicks and have to be professional. … It’s a hard time, but we’ll stand strong and keep working.”

Before the game, the French national anthem was played in tribute to those who died in the attacks Friday night.

“I got goose bumps,’’ Seraphin said. “I wanted to cry, but the camera was there so I can’t do that. But it was really emotional. I sing it, too.”

Seraphin’s outburst helped the Knicks move to 5-6. They didn’t post their fifth victory until Dec. 12 last season and were still stuck on five wins at 5-32 when Phil Jackson broke up the team Jan. 5 with his fire-sale trades.

The Knicks, shaking off their recent fourth-quarter meltdowns, played solid defense in the final two minutes, and Carmelo Anthony hit four free throws in the final 29 seconds to ice it. Anthony finished with 29 points and 13 rebounds, helping the Knicks overcome Davis’ mammoth afternoon of 36 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks.

“[Seraphin] gets the game ball,’’ Anthony said. “If we were a team that gives out games balls, he’s got it. He’s had games where he felt he should’ve been playing more. He showed what he can do on the court and help us as a team. To what he is dealing with emotionally and mentally, be prepared today when his number was called was big.’’

Seraphin, signed as a free agent for the $2.8 million room exception, was terrific in the fourth as the Knicks — and Anthony — continued to pound the ball into the post for the center who once played in the French league. Seraphin has been bothered by sore knees in his first year in New York and had seemed to lose his rotation spot to Lou Amundson.

He recently went into Fisher’s office for a talk.

“It’s frustration when you don’t play for sure,’’ Seraphin said. “I definitely wasn’t happy, was frustrated and kept working. I kept my frustration on the treadmill.’’

Fisher told him he needs to be tougher on defense.

“I went to his office and asked him, ‘What do you expect from me?’ ‘What I should do more and better to be on the court?’ ’’ Seraphin said. “ He expects more from the defensive part. He told me the offensive part, don’t worry about this part, get more rebounds and make some stops.’’

Seraphin came on in the third quarter to score on a fast break and then hit a 20-footer at the shot-clock buzzer to give the Knicks a 68-65 lead entering the fourth. Then he went to town down low and even had an early fourth-quarter steal that led to a fast-break score. Fisher stuck with Seraphin as Robin Lopez and Kyle O’Quinn both struggled and were held scoreless.

“I know that [Anthony] believes in me from the beginning,’’ Seraphin said. “He knows me from Washington. When you see the star of the team, a guy like him, give me the ball in the post and say, ‘Get in the post, I’ll get you the ball,’ it gives you confidence and physically I made the best of it.’’

Anthony had said Saturday the club was relying too much on him in the fourth quarter. He got an assist Sunday.

“It obviously meant a lot to him — look at the back of his head — and was impacted by it,” Fisher said. “And it says more about who he is, to go out and still have a good performance today.”