PHOENIX — With the sun setting on their season and a respected veteran bolting the trip, Knicks co-captain Lance Thomas spoke up at a team breakfast meeting at the hotel Friday morning before the Knicks’ 107-85 win in the Valley of the Sun.

Thomas lit into the team with a speech about the need to play with more force and defense. Something got through as the Knicks held Phoenix to 45 points fewer than the Nuggets racked up Thursday.

“I spoke to my team,” Thomas told The Post after the victory over the Suns to finish the six-game Western Conference trip at 2-4. “We had a breakfast meeting like we usually do after back-to-backs. I addressed the team about how we need to be better. The effort was there. That’s all I wanted. I wanted us to play hard and play off each other. That’s what I wanted. I told everybody we need to play for each other in order to win. We’re not one of those teams that can just show up and outscore teams.”

In Denver on Thursday, Thomas, the team’s best defensive player, called himself out, admitting he needs to do a better job leading by example.

“I’m going to stay at it and practice what I preach,” Thomas said in Denver. “I absolutely need to do a better job of it. Even for myself, guys scored on me quite a bit [Thursday], which is usually something I don’t usually let happen. But I’m going to pick it up and let everyone follow.”

The Suns were gung-ho on trading for Kristaps Porzingis on draft night. Interim coach Jay Triano tossed the plaudits before Porzingis awoke in the second half to score 19 points. Coach Jeff Hornacek praised Porzingis for not forcing anything vs. the Suns in shooting 6-of-11 and making 3-of-4 3-pointers after starting the first half 1-of-6.

“We’ve spent the last day and a half thinking about it here,” Triano said of trying to limit the Latvian before the game. “He’s a tough guy to stop because he doesn’t put himself in position where you can really double him. He shoots it before a double-team can get there. He shoots it before the help can get there. He’s got a high release so he can shoot it over the top of 7-footers. I think the best way to guard him is to play him before the catch.”