NBA

Felton shuts it down with pinched nerve in hip

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Knicks starting point guard Raymond Felton, hampered by a pinched nerve in his hip, is shutting it down for a little while.

Felton missed Tuesday night’s 92-86 loss to the Pistons as little-used Beno Udrih started at point guard.

Felton is listed as “day-to-day’’ after battling hamstring issues in the preseason and early in the regular season. But he aggravated his hip nine days ago after taking a blow during as gamer with San Antonio. Felton’s play has deteriorated since and that is causing him the most pain.

“It’s a pinched nerve,’’ Felton said at the morning shootaround at The Palace. “I can’t put no timetable on it. It’s not a bone, not a muscle. One of the things that have to go away.

“I sat out a lot of games last year [with a fractured pinkie] and one of my things this year is not sitting out. I don’t want to sit out no games. But if I have to, then I got to do what I got to do so I’m healthy enough to help this team.’’

Udrih had played in just four of the first nine contests, but started over Pablo Prigioni, though Prigioni played 23 minutes to Udrih’s 18.

Defensively, Felton has been less mobile recently and he’s shooting just 37.6 percent after shooting 42.7 percent last season. Last week, Felton acknowledged he wasn’t 100 percent, mentioning the San Antonio blow as aggravating the hamstring injury, but he hadn’t disclosed the pinched nerve until Monday’s practice.

“It’s been very tough,’’ Felton said. “Me, I’m not a guy who complains. I’m still trying to play through whatever. At the same time, I don’t want to hinder the team either. If I’m not able to do the things I’m capable of doing, which is moving laterally, staying in front of my man and getting into the paint, if I’m not able to do that and I feel the same way as I’ve been feeling before, I’m going to really consider resting it and let it heal up a little bit.’’’

With Felton out, that meant three key rotation players were missing from the lineup. He joined Metta World Peace, out with a knee injury, and Tyson Chandler, out with a broken leg, on the sidelines.