LOS ANGELES — It’s soon going to be Mo Time and Marshall Time.
Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek said he figures once the Knicks (27-42) are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs — which could occur if they go 0-4 on this trip out West — he’ll get the orders to play all six rookies on the roster.
That, he said, would include center Marshall Plumlee and forward Maurice Ndour, who has recovered from his ankle sprain, but didn’t make the trip.
Ndour was assigned to the D-League Westchester Knicks, and he scored 27 points with 10 rebounds and four steals Sunday in a victory over Erie.
As the Knicks face the Clippers on Monday at Staples Center, Hornacek is still ready to roll with his veterans with the Knicks seven games out of the eighth seed with 13 games left.
“No player ever wants to lose, no coach ever wants to lose,’’ Hornacek said Sunday at the team hotel. “If management came and said, ‘Play these other guys,’ as coaches, it’s always tough. You want to play your best guys. But there is some point it makes sense and give guys more experience and see if they can play for us in the coming year.”
Hornacek gave a nod to Plumlee, the undrafted Duke rookie who has two years left on his partially guaranteed pact. Plumlee had a poor outing in Philadelphia on March 3 — his most recent appearance — but Hornacek wants to soon roll with the burly defensive center who has played 13 games for Westchester.
“Marshall has been back and forth in the D-League, and we haven’t given him a ton of minutes with all the centers we have,’’ Hornacek said. “But every time he goes out in practice, he looks like one of the better guys out there. That’s a scenario that will play out a little bit more.’’
Same goes for Ndour, who played in his 14th D-League game Sunday. He won’t join the trip unless an injury occurs, but the medical staff is rehabbing his ankle for an April return. The Knicks kept Ndour on the 15-man roster at the urging of Clarence Gaines, Phil Jackson’s top advisor, and works almost exclusively with associate head coach Kurt Rambis.
Out of training camp, the club kept Ndour over guard Chasson Randle, who was cut but re-signed after the All-Star break and now is getting playing time. The Knicks are already playing four rookies — Randle, combo guard Ron Baker, Mindaugas Kuzminskas and Willy Hernangomez. Only the latter was drafted.
At some point, the Knicks will trot out an all-rookie quintet.
“Maybe at that point, we take a look at it, or management comes out and says, ‘Do this or that,’’’ Hornacek said. “We’re still trying to win games, establish something to build forward with. Maybe we can start looking at some other guys, lower veteran minutes here and there.’’
Derrick Rose, a free agent, said he’d understand the benching. He sat out the final two games last season with the Bulls when they were eliminated from the race. Still, the Knicks are still evaluating him, seeing how he picks up the triangle with its increased emphasis.
“Whatever they want me to do, I’ll do,’’ Rose said.
Rose admitted the Knicks would need “a miracle’’ to land the eighth seed. They actually probably would have to either run the table or go 12-1.
“We didn’t click, we didn’t have that connection we wanted throughout the season,’’ Rose said. “You need that to go far in this league. It takes time and playing through mistakes learning a new system.’’