Wednesday’s Garden match against the Mavericks will feature Dirk Nowitzki’s probable last game at the Garden, rookie sensation Luka Doncic’s first game there — and likely more Enes Kanter chants.
After not playing in a fourth straight game — all losses — Monday in Charlotte against the Hornets, Kanter all but accused coach David Fizdale of cheating the Garden fans by not playing him.
Kanter saluted the Garden fans Sunday for chanting his name during the Heat’s third-quarter blitz as Miami pulled away for a 106-97 win.
“It was probably the toughest,” Kanter said Monday night of sitting on the bench Sunday. “[If] it was a road game, I understand. But it’s a home game, and the fans wanted to see me out here. And they were chanting. I felt bad I couldn’t go out there and help my teammates and the organization.
“You can’t go out there and help the fans because they’re paying so much money to come watch us. They want to see me out there. When they don’t, they start to get pissed. They want me to be out there.”
Kanter is buried deep in Fizdale’s doghouse. The Knicks coach can no longer use the excuse he’s playing younger players such as now-injured Luke Kornet over Kanter. Lance Thomas, age 30, is starting at power forward in a small-ball alignment that hasn’t produced a win.
If Kornet was healthy, Knicks fans might understand Kanter getting benched. But now it appears Fizdale is sending a message that beefing to the media won’t get you anywhere.
At Friday’s morning shootaround before facing the Nets, Fizdale singled out Kanter in front of the team and asked him to not air grievances to the media. Kanter did anyway with an electric postgame press conference, accusing the coach of poor communication.
Kanter hopes for a trade by the Feb. 7 deadline and is in constant talks with his highly regarded agent, Mark Bartelstein, who appears to have asked his client to tone down the rhetoric.
“My agent is saying just keep your head up, stay strong and stay in shape and keep being a good teammate and I’ll handle the rest,” Kanter said. “I’m going to leave it to him.”
Kanter said he’s heard support from more than just the fans.
“The ref came up to me [Sunday] and said, ‘Hey it’s business, keep your head up and stay strong,’ ’’ Kanter said. “I was like, wow, even the ref said that. [Monday in Charlotte] the bus driver said stay strong. It’s everybody. I’m getting texts from all over the league, from players and coaches, saying stay strong, it will work out in the end.”
Kanter is working on “staying in shape,” but it didn’t sound as if he’s willing to give back money in a buyout.
“If I don’t get traded, I’m here,” Kanter said. “As long as I’m here, I’m part of the Knicks family. I just have to do my job to help the young guys.”