TORONTO — Late in the third quarter Thursday night, Knicks coach Derek Fisher trotted out a quintet of Lou Amundson, Kevin Seraphin and Derrick Williams up front with Sasha Vujacic and rookie Jerian Grant in the backcourt.
Visions of last season’s 17-win catastrophe were hard to ignore. All-Star Weekend comes here in two weeks, but this became the anti-All-Star night at Air Canada Centre — at least for the Knicks.
The Knicks sat their two marquee guys — Carmelo Anthony (knee soreness) and Kristaps Porzingis (late scratch due to an upper-respiratory ailment). They also were missing Jose Calderon (groin strain), who is still beloved in Toronto, where he had his best years.
Missing three starters, the Knicks faced the league’s hottest club, but it wasn’t the shellacking most predicted. They were within six points early in the fourth quarter before falling, 103-93, as the Raptors (31-15) posted their franchise-record 10th straight victory.
Porzingis, looking weakened at his locker, was too sick to talk to the media after the game and escaped out a back door.
And Fisher was in an agitated mood afterward, acting put upon when asked about the Latvian’s health.
“Honestly, we fought hard, but we could’ve been better, we could’ve won this game,’’ Fisher said.
Fisher indicated some sort of bug has been going around the team.
“He didn’t play,’’ Fisher snapped. “He didn’t feel well enough to play. It’s irrelevant [when he got sick]. He didn’t play tonight. Guys have been ill. He wasn’t well enough to play. He warmed up before the game. He just didn’t have it.’’
On Porzingis’ status for Friday’s Garden match against the Suns, Fisher said: “Doesn’t matter. We’ll decide. We won’t guess on how he’ll feel tomorrow.’’
The Knicks (22-26) lost for the fourth straight time, though they expect to have Anthony, if not Porzingis, back Friday. Anthony proclaimed he would be a go, and it appeared the Knicks were playing it safe with Porzingis’ sickness in a game they figured to be long shots to win.
The Knicks are now 0-6 without Anthony, though this one deserves an asterisk. Arron Afflalo led the Knicks with 20 points and Langston Galloway, starting for Calderon, added 12 points. Toronto’s DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry, both All-Stars, each scored 26 points.
“It was difficult,’’ Afflalo said. “Obviously we had to play a perfect game.’’
Fisher started little-used Kyle O’Quinn at power forward for Porzingis, who didn’t complain at the morning shootaround and wasn’t scratched until 20 minutes before tip-off. Lance Thomas, starting again for Anthony, scored on a putback to cut the deficit to 58-57 midway through the third quarter after the Knicks had fallen behind by 14 points in the first half.
Anthony missed his second straight game, but said most of his left-knee soreness has gone away. Anthony said he is not worried any structural issues exists from last February’s surgery.
“I don’t want to come back and deal with a back-to-back situation,’’ Anthony said at the morning shootaround. “I’ll have another day under my belt and hopefully prepare for tomorrow.’’