Joakim Noah shot a free throw so terribly even he couldn’t help but immediately cringe.

Watch: Knicks’ Joakim Noah Grimaces After Airball On Free Throw In 109-103 Win Over Pacers

The New York Knicks center put up a free throw in the first quarter in Monday night’s 109-103 road victory over the Indiana Pacers, and it ended up being an airball that flew left of the rim.

Noah, understandably upset with his shot, grimaced as his free throw percentage slipped to under 42.9 percent.

That figure has only sunk further and further for Noah since his All-Star days in Chicago. The French first-year Knick finished the 2012-2013 season with a 75.1 percent completion rate as a player for the Bulls.

Noah’s lingering ankle injury is also surely affecting his play.

After the Knicks (20-26) blew a 17-point lead over the final 17 minutes, Carmelo Anthony came to New York’s rescue just in time.

With the score tied at 103 and 23.4 seconds remaining, Anthony beat a switch and scored a 14-foot baseline jumper to help his team secure the win.

”I don’t even want to think about that – if this one got away,” Anthony said after scoring 26 points and grabbing five rebounds. ”This is the time where we have to come together as a group and lock in and figure this thing out.”

With the victory, the Knicks ended a two-game skid overall and a nine-game regular-season losing streak at Indiana, where New York last won on March 17, 2012.

Derrick Rose finished with 20 points and six assists, but also had two turnovers in the final three minutes. The former Bulls star also contended that a missed layup with 2:19 left was a goaltend, and he got caught arguing with the ref when the Pacers raced to the other end for a putback dunk. Indiana has lost three straight.

“It was devastating the five, six games we lost like this. All of it was devastating,” Rose said. “This one would’ve been another one on the list. But like I said, it makes you a better team.”

Paul George’s free throws tied the score at 103 with 42 seconds left, and finished with a game-high 31 points for Indiana. The Pacers (22-22) led by 14 in the first quarter, while Kristaps Porzingis played a terrible first half (he eventually fouled out with just eight points).

The Knicks are 11th in the Eastern Conference, and are only 2.5 games out of the eighth spot held by the Bulls.

“This a tough stretch for us with these close losses. We were three over .500 at one point, and then we hit this stretch,” Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek said. “Got some bad breaks, but you have to make your own breaks sometimes.

“Guys know that if they keep playing and they’re not dropping their heads — yeah, they’re frustrated they’re losing — but when they go out on the court they’re still trying to do the right things.”

The Knicks next visit the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, while the Pacers will play on Thursday at Minnesota, where they have won two in a row.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUkFN7VSQdk

NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 29: Joakim Noah #13 of the New York Knicks looks on against the Memphis Grizzlies during the first half at Madison Square Garden on October 29, 2016 in New York City.

It is far from official, but according to several reports, the New York Knicks are nearing an agreement with free agent center Joakim Noah with terms in the neighborhood of $72 million on a four-year deal.

And with that, in a week’s span, much-maligned Knicks President Phil Jackson has turned New York from Atlantic Division doormat to legitimate playoff contender.

OPINION: With Noah Signing Knicks Earn Shot To Dethrone King James

While no deal can be made official until the NBA moratorium period closes July 7, reports have been circulating for weeks that Noah was looking to return home.

Now New York is staring at the possibility of a front line that features Noah, Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis.

JOAKIM NOAH CAREER MIX

Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers are the defending champs, but the only other threat in the Cavs frontcourt is Tristan Thompson. Cleveland’s center is a pro, who seems to shine in the postseason, but his numbers are no better than Noah’s for their respective careers.

I don’t want to hear about Kevin Love.

I respect the defense he played on Steph Curry in Game 7 and he was effective in areas that didn’t show up in the boxscore, but I would take Porzingis over Love any day of the week.

James obviously takes Anthony, but Melo can score with anyone. And Thompson vs. Noah is a wash.

Derrick Rose versus Kyrie Irving?

The book is still out on Rose as far as his health and agility are concerned, but it’s safe to say he will be a productive player with superstar talent around him.

Noah, too, should return to form upon reuniting with Rose. The pair made the playoffs five years in a row in Chicago and in Rose’s MVP season of 2010-2011, Noah put together one of the best campaigns of his career, averaging 11.7 points and 10.4 rebounds.

ROSE SAYS HE WANTS NOAH AND EVERYBODY KNOWS IT

Since, it hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows for the big fella.

His last two seasons have been marred by injury and poor play, but a return to his place of birth could be just what the doctor ordered.

The near 7-footer was born in New York City, then moved to Paris for an extended period, before returning to the city that never sleeps at the age of 13.

Noah spent a post-graduate year in New Jersey at the Lawrenceville School where he was ranked a 4-star recruit by rivals.com. He played college ball at Florida, where he won two national championships under current Oklahoma City Thunder coach Billy Donovan, leading the Chicago Bulls to select Noah as the ninth overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft.

From 2009-2011 and 2012-2014, Noah averaged a double-double for the Bulls. In the 2011-2012 season he scored 10.2 points and pulled down 9.8 rebounds per game.

Last season was a forgettable one for Noah. He played in just 29 games dues to injury and ineffectiveness, starting only two contests.

Not so coincidentally, his best performance came on what could be his home floor, in his hometown.

Noah lit up the Garden with 21 points and 10 rebounds in his first start of the season Dec. 19. Six of Noah’s boards came on the offensive glass, making him the Bulls All-Time Leader in offensive rebounds, surpassing Horace Grant.

And nine months earlier Noah recorded his fifth career triple-double with 13 points 14 assists and 12 rebounds against, you guessed it, the New York Knickerbockers.

NOAH RIPS KNICKS FOR 21 POINTS AND 10 REBOUNDS

Noah is not Kevin Durant. He won’t showcase the athleticism of a DeMar DeRozan and he doesn’t have the youth of an Andre Drummond either, but he is a good fit for the Knicks roster as its currently constituted.

His presence alongside Anthony and K-stop will reignite the fire at MSG, the electricity we only see when New York is a winning games.

Lookout Eastern Conference, there’s a new frontcourt in town.

One that may have fans whispering next season: Noah, Porzingis and Melo, Oh my!

When the New York Knicks acquired Derrick Rose from the Chicago Bulls in a trade on Wednesday, many fans immediately flocked to social media sounding the horns of displeasure.

But before you all prepare your brown, 20 gallon, paper bags to cover your faces, consider the possibility that this may have been a good thing for the Knicks franchise.

Rose is currently 27, turning 28 before the season begins in October, so he is no spring chicken in terms of NBA standards.

And yes, he has had a multitude of knee and leg injuries that have slowed his once blistering speed.

But consider for a second that Rose has used the time off the floor to grow as a player, watching film, studying defenses and his own highlights. Then, add him to a starting lineup that includes Kristaps Porzingis and Carmelo Anthony and consider the possibilities.

Porzingis showed flashes of his unquestioned ability in his rookie year. Now he will be one season better, stronger, more intelligent in regards to both offense and defense, and he has already been working out rigorously to improve his strength.

KRISTAPS PORZINGIS HIGHLIGHTS FROM ROOKIE CAMPAIGN

Team President Phil Jackson has heard his share of backlash since taking his post as New York’s basketball czar. Jackson has been criticized by many writers for looking too hard to find “his” type of player, as opposed to the best player available.

The trade for Rose signals a departure from that logic.

What Jackson understands is the same thing millions of Knickerbocker fans are unwilling to grasp: There is a window of opportunity, but it is closing fast.

Anthony, the Knicks leading scorer in 2015-2016 at 21.8 points per game, is on the wrong side of 30, 32 to be exact, and he only has two, maybe three years, of above average production left in his 6-foot-8 frame.

As Porzingis continues to progress, there is a finite period of time for the two to be great together. Though if it were left to only those two, New York would likely miss the playoffs, let alone, muster a deep playoff run.

Enter Rose, who averaged 16.4 points and 4.7 assists last season in Chicago, a far cry from the 25 points and 7.7 assists he averaged in his MVP season of 2011, but also far superior to the 7.6 PPG and 4.1 APG you got from Jose Calderon.

Newsday’s Al Iannazone spoke with Jackson this week about how the trade would affect Anthony:

“Melo and I have talked about that, whether we’re on the right time frame with him, is he disappointed or whatever,” Jackson told Iannazone Thursday. “I think this is a positive move. (Anthony) sees that as a positive move. I think it’s reinvigorating for him.”

If it were only the acquisition of Rose that was at play here regarding the future of the Knicks, there would still be concern about the other two names new head coach Jeff Hornacek would be writing into the starting five.

But with the trade, not only did New York secure a former MVP point guard, the Knicks also freed up significant cap space to land another piece.

ROSE DOESN’T DISAPPOINT IN TRIP TO MSG

And who is the one person who could serve as New York’s best recruiter?

You guessed it, Derrick Rose.

Reports are already swirling around rumors that Rose is deep in talks with current free agent, Bulls center, Joakim Noah.

Noah was born in New York City and went to high school in central New Jersey, giving him deep roots in the area.

Rose and Noah were spotted last night at nightclub 1Oak in Manhattan, where it is presumed D-Rose made his pitch to his former teammate.

The Knicks currently have approximately $26 million in cap space for the 2016-2017 season, that is including expected salaries for roster holdovers like Cleanthony Early, according to HoopsHype.

That money can buy a Joakim Noah, Kevin Durant, or even a DeMar DeRozan for one season.

DEMAR DEROZAN LIGHTS UP NBA CHAMPION CAVS

But it gets even better.

New York is slated to have almost $70 million in cap space available in 2017-2018 and almost $60 million free in 2018-2019.

The guys over at SB Nation did a great job of charting it here

That means the Knicks could conceivably be able to keep Rose, Melo, Porzingis and a coveted free agent on the same roster for the next three years.

“He may not be the Derrick Rose from four or five (years) ago,” Hornacek told Chris Herring of the Wall Street Journal. “But he’s still pretty darn quick.”

You hear that Knicks fans? That’s the sound of championship bells ringing in the not-to-distant future. You can almost feel the confetti trickling down upon the canyon of heroes.

Lighten up Knicks fans, the Rose trade is the best thing to happen to this franchise in years.

Every Christmas Day, the NBA takes over television. This year the games will be accompanied by anti-gun violence commercials staring some of the sport’s biggest names.

Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Joakim Noah and Steph Curry will appear in ads made by Everytown for Gun Safety, an advocacy group seeing to end gun violence in America. All four players appear in one video and each has an individual clip discussing why the cause matters to them.

While the players generally focus on similar themes such as a the risk of senseless killing and pain of losing a loved one, Curry does a fine job of articulating his feelings.

“There are countless people that are effected. They can’t just go down the street to the corner store. They can’t go with their families to the park; they can’t do things for fear of their lives and that’s sad,” the Warriors guard said.

“And, as a parent of two little girls, anytime you hear of anyone who wasn’t even involved in an altercation or someone not involved in a dispute getting caught in the middle… that hurts. I don’t know what I would do if I got a call and knew my daughter’s gone. No parent should have to go through that. Whatever we can do to hopefully change our culture, that’s what we’re here for. I have a voice and I want to share it and stop gun violence in its entirety.”

Photo: Stephen Curry during Game One of the 2015 NBA Finals at ORACLE Arena on June 4, 2015 in Oakland, California.