By JAY GREENBERG

The Knicks confirmed this morning that center Eddy Curry’s right knee needs arthroscopic surgery to mend a cartilage tear, putting him out for the remaining 19 games of the season. Curry, averaging a disappointing 13.9 points per game in plummeting minutes due largely to the offseason acquisition of forward Zach Randoph, had sat out the past three games. His minutes were taken up by sixth man David Lee and, increasingly, rookie Wilson Chandler.

“I like his competitiveness,” Isiah Thomas said of Chandler, a first-round pick from DePaul. “Right now out on the floor he gets beat by know-how, the veteran savvy of other players.

“I try to start him and let him play against some of the top guys and right now they are having their way with him on the offensive side of the ball. I’d like to see him get a little bit more involved offensively. Right now he is strictly out on the floor playing as a defender, but I would like to exploit his offense a little more.”