Tim Hardaway Jr. falls and Knicks drop one to Wizards

WASHINGTON — The Knicks learned a lesson the hard way Sunday, facing a team in free fall and finding that they are still a long way from taking advantage.

With rumors of trades and a coaching change sifting through the NBA just weeks into the season, the Wizards righted themselves at the Knicks’ expense with a 108-95 victory at Capital One Arena.

By the time the game was over, the Knicks had turned the ball over 20 times, Tim Hardaway Jr. was hobbling around with a back injury and a pair of rookies — Allonzo Trier and Mitchell Robinson — had been called for technical fouls.

“I think we all had some frustration,” coach David Fizdale said. “But we’ve got to be able to control our emotions.”

Despite having much of the same team that reached the postseason in three of the previous four seasons, the Wizards entered the game with a 1-7 record, a start that has confounded the team and even the competition.

“Everybody goes through crap,” Fizdale said. “That’s this league, man. But you can never walk into a building thinking — especially us — walk into a building thinking we got something figured out . . . Nothing shocks me anymore, to be honest. You just don’t know what’s going on in another person’s building . . . Even when you think you’re the most screwed-up team in the world, never underestimate how screwed up somebody else is. But that’s just this league.”

The Knicks were the staggered team when it was over, a 3-7 team that flew back to New York with its own set of troubles. The main one right now is the health of Hardaway, who entered the game averaging 25.1 points per game.

With five minutes remaining in the first quarter, Hardaway’s driving layup was blocked by Bradley Beal, and John Wall, soaring in from behind, caught him with a knee in the back. Hardaway slowly went to the floor and was down for a long time before finally being helped to the bench and taken to the locker room. After stretching, he returned to the game in the second quarter, but he shot 0-for-4 after returning to action and 1-for-8 in the half.

Hardaway started the second half, but once he left midway through the third quarter, he took turns riding the exercise bike and applying ice to his back. He entered the game in the fourth quarter but moved gingerly, and he finished the night shooting 2-for-10 and scoring seven points in 24 minutes.

“I feel like once we got into that halftime, I knew I’d try to do as much movement as possible to keep it heating up, keep it warm, and then try to give it a go in the third,” Hardaway said. “Then once he took me out the middle of the third, knew it was kind of a wrap. I think I waited too long to get back out there and it stiffened up, it flared up a little bit. We’ll see how it is tomorrow. Get treatment and try to get back after it tomorrow.”

Trier, playing in place of Hardaway, went at it with Wall and exchanged words, with both players drawing technical fouls with 3:44 left in the third quarter.

“We’re good friends. That’s just about competing at the highest level,” Trier said. “He’s doing what he’s trying to do for his team and I’m doing the same. So it’s all in love and in respect of the game.”

Asked if he thought Wall was trying to intimidate him, he said, “I’m not intimidated by anybody. Respect him, though. I’m not intimidated by anybody.”

Even with Hardaway hurting, the Knicks rallied from a 13-point deficit to tie it at 82 early in the fourth quarter, but the Wizards ultimately pulled away.

Robinson had a shot blocked at the rim from behind by Beal and then fouled Jeff Green, argued and was called for a technical with 5:09 left in the fourth. The Knicks trailed 94-88 at that point, but the Wizards scored eight straight points.

Said Fizdale: “That’s a good lesson for him. In the moment. He has to be able to play through that stuff and move on to the next play. But again, that’s all part of his education.”