With the injury-riddled Knicks facing an all-star Laker squad with four future Hall of Famers, one might’ve expected the Lakers to get the benefit of a few calls. But they couldn’t expect – or excuse – what went on in last night’s 104-83 loss at the Garden.

They got drilled, and nowhere was the Lakers’ dominance more painfully obvious, or driven home with such clarity, than in the paint – or on the free-throw line, where the Knicks took just six shots and the Lakers were 37 of 47, and 17-of-21 in the third quarter alone.

“Since the season started I haven’t seen anything being called the way they called it today,” said Dikembe Mutombo, who had the unenviable task of guarding Shaquille O’Neal without being able to body him out.

“I always put my forearm and hold the guy down. I did it today and the referee called a foul. I don’t know what the ref was looking at. Hopefully they can look at the game afterwards and see what kind of mistakes they made.”

The Knicks were whistled for 34 personal fouls, the Lakers just 19. And no call epitomized the discrepancy more than the final play of the first half.

With the score tied at 49, Knicks rookie Michael Sweetney had position for a rebound, and Karl Malone jumped over his back for the ball. Not only did Malone not get whistled, but Sweetney got called for a foul. Malone hit two free throws with :02.4 left for a 51-49 edge.

“I went up to get the rebound and felt someone on my back. I heard the whistle and I thought it was a foul on him. I was like, ‘Oh, man, I can’t win,’ ” said Sweetney, who philosophically chalked the call up to being a rookie facing a superstar.

“I knew somebody was on my back and they called a foul over the back and they pointed at me. I’m like, I was standing there for five seconds and he came running in there wild. It was crazy. But I guess that’s a veteran and rookie.”

Michael Doleac quipped “They changed the rules of basketball. The guy jumped over his back. They don’t call a foul on the guy blocking out usually.” But it wasn’t just a rookie thing.

The Knicks’ six foul shots tied an NBA season-low, and were just two more than their club-record low.

The Lakers’ 47 foul shots were by far the most in the league this year – the next highest was 36. The fouls also crippled the Knicks offensively, with Allan Houston picking up his third foul with 2:48 left in the first.

“Yeah I was surprised [at the discrepancy],” Houston said. “We felt we were fighting hard to get some calls, too. We just didn’t get them.”