The pendulum, thankfully, did swing back to attitudes more assenting to sharing the so-called rock and responsibility, with the Big Threes forming and winning championships in Boston and Miami, and ultimately Kevin Durant’s blessing last summer of the Four-for-All with Golden State.

That left Russell Westbrook behind with the Oklahoma City Thunder, a band he now fronts like Diana Ross with her Supremes, his statistics and stock predictably soaring. Come the playoffs, let’s see how enjoyable the daily triple-double will be without a worthy co-star.

It was soon after Westbrook and the Thunder manhandled the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Monday night that Hornacek bemoaned how the Knicks’ offense this young season has too often turned into a solo-artist duel between Anthony and Rose. Asked if the consistency of the team’s ball movement was satisfactory, Hornacek said: “It probably never is. That’s one thing we need to get better at.”

Was he referring mainly to Anthony, who that night had been in vintage ball-stopping mode? On Wednesday night in Minneapolis, Anthony let most of the first quarter pass before he so much as launched a shot. He may not have been sending a message, but it surely seemed as if he had received one, loud and clear, from the coach.

Hornacek has made it plain that he thinks Anthony in a clear-out remains his best bet in the last minute of a game in the balance. The other 47 minutes are another story.

On Wednesday night, the fourth quarter began with the Knicks up by 7 points, and they stretched the lead to 17 behind Porzingis and four bench players. Anthony and Rose returned with 7 minutes 3 seconds left and the Knicks ahead by 13.