KNICK NOTES

Jeff Van Gundy made cryptic remarks about the need for selflessness before yesterday’s Game 4 against the Heat at Garden. He called his team “very fragile” and he sounded concerned about how some of his players might be handling reduced roles, although he didn’t name names.

“We’re a very fragile group,” Van Gundy said. “I’ll be interested to see how they bounce back. If the focus is not on anything other than the team, like shots, minutes, whatever, we’re not where we need to be.

“That’s why I was so impressed with [Tim] Hardaway [in Game 3],” Van Gundy said. “He was watching the last minute not because he was hurt but because the other guy [Anthony Carter] was playing great.

“There was no one happier when they won than him and you could see it his reactions on the bench. I was very impressed with that.”

Van Gundy seemed to be hinting that more egos may be bruised now that the Knicks are fighting for their playoff lives.

Already, he has two brewing controversies regarding who finishes games – at point guard and power forward. Charlie Ward is clearing up the debate at the point as he’s been the best Knick in the series, so he’ll be finishing for the time being.

Yesterday, after going with Marcus Camby to finish Game 3, Van Gundy went the other way yesterday. Larry Johnson replaced Marcus Camby with 2:28 remaining. LJ wasn’t a factor because Ward took over the game.

Van Gundy made a surprising change in his substitution pattern, benching Houston with four minutes left in the first quarter for Camby. Houston was 0-for-3 at the time.

Houston came on and racked up 17 points, hitting two big 3s early in the fourth, but finished shooting just 6-of-16.

*

Heat forward Jamal Mashburn came into the press room after the game to apologize to reporter Selena Roberts, who injured her shoulder as a result of a Mashburn temper tantrum.

Mashburn, hot after getting thrown to the floor by Latrell Sprewell at the end of the first half, violently kicked the press table on his way to the locker room. The table flung back into the reporter’s shoulder.

The reporter, whose shoulder popped out of its socket, was examined by the Knicks medical staff at halftime and returned to her seat with no further incident.

On the play that got Mashburn furious, he and Spree got tangled up going for a loose ball and Sprewell appeared to slam down Mashburn, who appeared to take a swipe at him.

“I was going for the ball,” Sprewell said. “I don’t think he took a swing at me.”

*

It would not be the worst exchange of two-game suspensions – Kurt Thomas for Alonzo Mourning. After Mourning mauled Thomas as Thomas skied for a layup in the fourth quarter, the Knick enforcer glared menacingly at Zo in a fighting pose. Mourning completely ignored him as Thomas kept up the wild-eyed glare.

“It wasn’t like that, that’s just how I play,” Thomas said.

*

Sprewell was glad the Knicks were able to open a seven-point lead in the final two minutes.

“They’ve had lady luck down the stretch against us so we didn’t want it to be close,” Spree said.