Yes, Howard Eisley was hot, but no, Don Chaney did not want him to take the final shot yesterday with 12.5 seconds left and the Knicks down three.

The play was designed for Eisley to get the inbounds pass to Latrell Sprewell. If Sprewell got it, he was supposed to attack the basket, and if double-teamed, he was to kick it out to Allan Houston.

The play went bust when Sprewell was overplayed by Philly defenders. Eisley tried to find Houston, but he too was tightly covered. So Eisley dumped it in to Michael Doleac, who handed the ball back to Eisley at the left wing behind the 3-point stripe.

Eisley had made two of his 3-pointers and was amid one of his finest games as a Knick (16 points, 10 assists). Seeing daylight, the Knicks current starting point guard let go, but the potential game-tying shot rattled around the rim to seal the Knicks’ eighth loss in nine games.

Again, Eisley failed to endear himself to fans and Chaney – even with a relatively strong performance.

“I stepped back and I thought I had a good look, unfortunately it didn’t go in,” said Eisley. “No [regrets]. I was open and it would’ve been hard to dribble or penetrate.”

The Knicks problem on the play was not getting the inbounds pass to their two scorers. Houston had made two baskets in the last 1:30.

“The play was designed for Allan Houston,” Chaney said. “We didn’t run the play. [Eisley] saw daylight and if the shot would have gone in, he would have been a hero, but it didn’t. That’s not what bothered me as much as other things.”