The Players Association filed for an arbitration hearing yesterday to fight a loophole in the new collective bargaining agreement that could give the Knicks a lot more flexibility to re-sign Jeremy Lin while preserving their $5 million mid-level exception.

That mid-level exception could be used to net a very capable point-guard counterpart — even Steve Nash — and change the landscape of the Knicks’ summer.

VOTE: KNICKS NEXT YEAR

In what could become known as “The Linsanity Rule,’’ the union will legally challenge a bylaw in which a player claimed off waivers loses his Bird rights. Lin was claimed off waivers by the Knicks in late December from the Rockets after previously being waived by the Warriors, who owned Lin’s Bird rights. Steve Novak also was claimed off waivers.

Under the status quo, the Knicks plan to use their $5 million mid-level exception to re-sign Lin, giving them very little salary-cap room to add another solid point guard.

If the Knicks retain their $5M mid-level exception while re-signing Lin as a Bird-rights player, they would be in the market for Nash, Andre Miller, Jason Kidd, Jameer Nelson and Goran Dragic. Nash seems a reach for $5 million after leading the NBA in assists and with the Suns ready to bowl him over with a more lucrative offer.

The union will argue a player who is traded still keeps his Bird rights, so one claimed off waivers should as well.

“It’s more than ambigious,’’ union lead attorney Ron Klempner told The Post. “We believe a player claimed is no different than a player traded.’’

Novak is in a similar boat. The Knicks probably would be outbid if they offered Novak their lower exception of $2 million. The union claims there never has been a case in which a player was claimed and found himself in a situation of seeking more than the minimum in free agency. The union is fighting the battle mostly because of the Knicks’ unprecedented situation, although there are other players in a similar situation.

Interim coach Mike Woodson said Lin would return, but does not want to commit to him as the starter with eyes on adding a veteran. If they only have their $2 million exception, Raymond Felton, Derek Fisher and Gary Neal may be their best options.

Lin, meanwhile, got his wish of being named to the U.S. Select Team that will scrimmage against the U.S. Olympic Team in July in Las Vegas.

marc.berman@nypost.com

Knicks, Jeremy Lin, Steve Novak, Steve Nash, The Players Association, Bird rights, Jameer Nelson, Goran Dragic, collective bargaining agreement

Nypost.com

May 14th, 2012 clear And Fast.

©2012 Equibase. All Rights Reserved

FIRST-1m&70y; $23,000; cl($7,500); 3up; (f&m)

Off: 12:26. Good. very wide, late surge

Time: 24.05, 48.84, 1:13.35, 1:4.29, 1:44.7.

Trainer: Philip Aristone

Scr: Ready to Party.

Horse

Wt.

PP

1/4

1/2

Str.

Fin

Jockey

Odds

L. A. Girl

120

3

4

3

3 2

1 1/2

Hiraldo

0.90

Serene Queen

120

5

2

2

2 1 1/2

2 3/4

Carmche

2.40

Silent Spin

113

6

1

1

1 2

3 5 1/2

Villanuev

8.70

Dancing Moment

120

4

6

6

4 4

4 5

Flores

8.50

Sweet as a Kiss

120

2

3

4

5 2

5 2

Pennngtn

5.80

Yankee Empress

117

1

5

5

6

6

Pellot

16.70

3-L. A. Girl

3.80

2.60

2.20

5-Serene Queen

2.60

2.40

7-Silent Spin

3.60

* Exacta (3-5) $12.60 * Trifecta (3-5-7) $56.60 *

Winner picked by DaSIlva

SECOND-1m&70y; $17,000; mdn cl($10,000); 3YO; (f&m)

Off: 12:53. Good. bump, wide, duck out

Time: 24.35, 48.81, 1:14.64, 1:42.08, 1:46.54.

Trainer: Philip Aristone

Horse

Wt.

PP

1/4

1/2

Str.

Fin

Jockey

Odds

Where There's Love

117

4

4

3

1 2 1/2

1 9

Suarez

13.70

Hello Dalai

115

3

1

1

2 3

2 2 1/4

Arroyo

3.80

Beautiful Gal

124

6

7

6

4 6

3 1

Arsemen

1.80

Mezzotinta

124

7

2

2

3 1 1/2

4 7 3/4

Wales

8.70

April Reign Dancer

124

5

6

7

6 1/2

5 nk

Hiraldo

19.10

Sheltowee Trace

115

1

5

4

5 3

6 1 1/4

Rivera

4.40

Caymus Girl

109

8

8

8

7 15

7 24

Villanuev

4.00

Jesk

116

2

3

5

8

8

Alvrd,Jr.

19.90

4-Where There's Love

29.40

12.60

7.80

3-Hello Dalai

6.80

4.20

6-Beautiful Gal

2.60

* Daily Double (3-4) $80.20 * Exacta (4-3) $167.20 * Trifecta (4-3-6) $518.80 *

THIRD-1m; $25,000; str alw; 3up; (f&m)

Off: 1:21. Good. rated wide, drew away

Time: 24.8, 48.81, 1:13.69, 1:26.27, 1:39..

Trainer: Ramon Moya

Scr: Lucy's Finale.

Horse

Wt.

PP

1/4

1/2

Str.

Fin

Jockey

Odds

Queen Concerto

116

1

3

3

1 9

1 19

Bisono

2.10

Souertime

120

5

4

4

3 1

2 3/4

Boyce

3.20

Well Polished

115

4

2

2

2 1

3 nk

Flores

3.30

Primo Via

110

6

5

5

5 2

4 2 1/2

Suarez

19.00

Cabales

114

2

6

6

6

5 1/2

Castillo

21.30

My Magnolia

113

3

1

1

4 2

6

Pennngtn

2.00

1-Queen Concerto

6.20

3.60

3.00

5-Souertime

4.40

2.80

4-Well Polished

2.60

* $1 Pick 3 (3/6-4-1) 3 Correct $176.00 * Exacta (1-5) $28.80 * Trifecta (1-5-4) $89.60 * Winner picked by Debbie L., Vic C.

FOURTH-7f; $17,000; mdn cl($10,000); 3YO; (f&m)

Off: 1:47. Good. clear, driving

Time: 23.46, 46.58, 1:12.64, 1:26.9.

Trainer: Michael Catalano, Jr.

Horse

Wt.

PP

1/4

1/2

Str.

Fin

Jockey

Odds

Fleet Mistress

124

1

1

1

1 2 1/2

1 2 1/2

Hmpse,J.

1.20

Kiwi Mistress

124

6

3

3

2 2 1/2

2 1 3/4

McMngel

5.20

Sally's Contender

124

7

8

8

4 1/2

3 1 3/4

Moya

5.80

Proud Queen

117

3

2

2

3 2

4 2 3/4

Suarez

11.40

Safely Ashore

124

8

6

6

6 1/2

5 nk

Hemngs

30.30

Shock Appeal

116

4

5

5

5 2

6 1

Rosado

9.80

Don'tmessw'louisa

124

2

7

7

7 6

7 5 1/2

Rivera

45.20

Broken Penny

116

5

4

4

8

8

HerneOe

3.20

1-Fleet Mistress

4.40

3.40

3.00

6-Kiwi Mistress

4.00

3.40

7-Sally's Contender

4.20

Next >

1

2

Philip AristoneScr, cl

Nypost.com

MIAMI — Frank Francisco became the Grinch that stole Mother’s Day.

The putrid Mets closer didn’t even bother retiring a batter in the ninth inning yesterday before he was yanked, walked toward home plate and started berating umpire Todd Tichenor. By then, the Marlins had all but sunk the Mets.

Francisco’s latest implosion may cost him the closer’s job. After Giancarlo Stanton’s walk-off grand slam against Manny Acosta iced the Mets’ 8-4 loss at Marlins Park, manager Terry Collins conceded he is pondering a change in the ninth inning.

“I’ve got eight options or however many guys are down there [in the bullpen],” Collins said. “But I’m not going to address that right now. The emotions are running a little high tonight, and that’s not a good time to make a decision.”

AP

UMP IRE:Mets closer Frank Francisco is ushered off the field by coach Bob Geren after being ejected for arguing balls and strikes on his way off the mound in the ninth inning of yesterday's 8-4 loss to the Marlins.

Francisco, who is 1-3 with an 8.56 ERA, certainly wouldn’t be stunned if he’s demoted.

“[Collins] is the boss and he can do whatever he wants,” said Francisco, who signed a two-year deal worth $12 million with the Mets this past offseason. “I’m here to help the team, and I guess I’m not doing that. Whatever decision he makes is fine with me. But I’m here to fight.”

BOX SCORE

Francisco, who also blew the save in Friday’s 6-5 loss, spent about 20 minutes staring vacantly into his locker as players dressed. He told The Post he is fine physically, and blamed Tichenor for squeezing the strike zone during John Buck’s at-bat that resulted in a walk.

With the Mets leading 4-2 in the ninth, Francisco allowed a leadoff triple to Emilio Bonafacio and walked Buck before pinch-hitter Greg Dobbs delivered an RBI single. Collins removed Francisco and then had to play the role of peacemaker as the pitcher walked to the plate and started screaming at Tichenor.

Francisco said all four balls he threw to Buck should have been called strikes.

“I didn’t care about Bonifacio, but I was trying to shut it down right there and I thought I was hitting my spots really good and I didn’t get a call,” Francisco said. “There’s nothing you can do about that.”

But pitching coach Dan Warthen said Francisco’s frustration was misguided.

“These umpires work their [butts] off and they travel, and I’m not going to put the blame on anybody but ourselves,” Warthen said.

Acosta entered and allowed a sacrifice fly to Jose Reyes to tie the game. With one out, Hanley Ramirez walked and Austin Kearns was plunked to load the bases. Stanton homered on the next pitch to end it.

It concluded a 4-2 road trip for the Mets that could have easily been a sweep.

“We’re fighting a lot of odds here,” Collins said. “We’re fighting against people that think [we can’t] be successful, and games like this it’s, ‘We told you so.’ That’s not the way we’ve been looking at it. That’s not the way we’re going to look at it. We’ll get on the plane and make sure everybody is ready for [tonight’s] game.”

The Mets had taken a 4-2 lead in the ninth on Justin Turner’s pinch-hit, two-run double against closer Heath Bell. It was the second time in 2 1/2 weeks Bell was victimized by the reserve infielder. On April 26 at Citi Field, Turner had a 13-pitch at-bat against Bell in the ninth inning that ended in a walk and sparked the Mets’ 3-2 comeback victory.

But Francisco’s latest meltdown helped ensure Turner’s dramatic hit yesterday became a footnote.

“When you go in the ninth inning and have a lead and then you lose it, it’s tough for anyone to swallow,” Turner said. “But we’re still playing good baseball. I still like where we’re at.”

mpuma@nypost.com

Frank Francisco, Mets, the Mets, Terry Collins, ninth inning, ninth inning, Todd Tichenor, Marlins, Giancarlo Stanton, Justin Turner, Manny Acosta, Francisco, Tichenor, Heath Bell

Nypost.com

FIRST-6 fur; $25,700; clm; 3up

5

School's Out (Brl)

2.80

2.20

2.10

6

Yankee Secret (Castnon)

5.20

3.60

3

Can't Prove It (Lanerie)

2.80

* Exacta (5-6) $18.00 * Superfecta (5-6-3-2) $108.40 * Trifecta (5-6-3) $61.40

Winner picked by Vic C.

SECOND-6 fur; $19,300; clm; 3up

5

Quet Ncole (Sllrs)

14.40

6.20

4.20

6

Dads Shootng Str (Cruz)

2.80

2.60

7

Troika (Lanerie)

2.40

* Daily Double (5-5) $22.00 * Exacta (5-6) $37.20 * Superfecta (5-6-7-3) $273.80 * Trifecta (5-6-7) $83.60

THIRD-1 mile; $55,300; alw; 3up(f)

5

Amzng Shos (Lnr)

11.80

5.00

3.20

1

Toxis (Bridgmohan)

4.40

3.60

6

Tapit Dancer (Sellers)

3.00

Scr: Time Counts.

* Pick 3 (5-5-5) 3 Correct $173.80 * Daily Double (5-5) $80.00 * Exacta (5-1) $34.60 * Trifecta (5-1-6) $146.00

FOURTH-7 fur; $18,200; alw; 4up(f)

4

One Lst Ntmr (Lnr)

6.40

3.60

3.00

6

Bressie (Bridgmohan)

5.40

4.00

5

Class of Fifty Two (Vazquez)

5.00

Scr: Shesadozer.

* Pick 4 (5-5-5-4) 4 Correct $898.40 * Pick 3 (5-5-4) 3 Correct $278.40 * Daily Double (5-4) $49.60 * Exacta (4-6) $33.00 * Superfecta (4-6-5-7) $464.80 * Trifecta (4-6-5) $155.20

Winner picked by Vic C.

FIFTH-1 1/16m(T); $24,600; clm; 3up

5

Chilaca (Lanerie)

7.20

4.40

3.20

11

Colonel Bill (Brdgmohan)

8.60

6.40

8

Control Tower (Castanon)

4.00

Scr: Zokarion.. dh_Awesome Attack, Control Tower3

* Pick 3 (5-4-5) 3 Correct $227.20 * Exacta (5-11) $87.00 * Superfecta (5-11-6-8) $2,632.60 * Superfecta (5-11-8-6) $2,499.80 * Trifecta (5-11-6) $392.00 * Trifecta (5-11-8) $346.40 * Daily Double (4-5) $30.00

SIXTH-7 fur; $38,500; clm; 4up

1

Delaunay (Saez)

4.00

3.00

2.20

4

Forty Nine Watts (Court)

8.00

4.00

5

Maximus Ruler (Borel)

2.80

Scr: Murjan, Jemaru.

* Pick 3 (4-5-1) 3 Correct $78.80 * Daily Double (5-1) $26.60 * Exacta (1-4) $33.20 * Superfecta (1-4-5-6) $496.20 * Trifecta (1-4-5) $105.60

SEVENTH-1 mile; $16,000; clm; 4up

6

Yo Coltrne (Pdroz)

10.20

5.60

3.60

5

Steve's Rvng (Bthncourt)

7.80

5.40

3

U Hush (Bridgmohan)

3.20

* Pick 4 (4-5/13-1/2/7-6) 4 Correct $516.20 * Pick 3 (5-1-6) 3 Correct $205.00 * Daily Double (1-6) $38.40 * Exacta (6-5) $76.00 * Superfecta (6-5-3-1) $1,113.20 * Trifecta (6-5-3) $408.60

EIGHTH-5 fur(T); $68,000; 3up(f)

Unbridled Sidney S.

1

Wld Abt Mr (Brdgmhn)

8.00

4.80

3.20

4

Smrtys Emperoress (Sz)

8.60

4.80

10

Honey Chile (Lanerie)

3.00

Scr: Yournotthebossofme, Grand Illumination.

* Pick 3 (1-6-1) 3 Correct $156.80 * Daily Double (6-1) $37.00 * Exacta (1-4) $52.60 * Superfecta (1-4-10-8) $1,158.00 * Trifecta (1-4-10) $190.20

NINTH-6 1/2 fur; $53,000; mdn; 3up(f)

8

Emmy Rls (Brdgmhn)

15.40

6.40

5.20

5

Yankee Union (Lanerie)

4.40

3.40

4

Indian Icicle (Vazquez)

10.00

* Pick 3 (6-1-8) 3 Correct $632.00 * Daily Double (1-8) $61.00 * Exacta (8-5) $81.60 * Superfecta (8-5-4-6) $4,869.60 * Trifecta (8-5-4) $823.80

TENTH-1m(T); $25,000; clm; 3YO

2

Ldy Hddssh (Cstnn)

4.80

3.20

2.60

10

Island Pryer (Brdgmohn)

11.80

6.00

1

Made Up (Lanerie)

3.80

Scr: Brew Blessings.. A.'s Mancini, Paoli, Courtly Flyer, Very Special Lady, Makenzie's Magic, Chamakchallo, Queen Anna

* Pick 6 (5/13-1/2/7-6-1-8-2/6) 5 Correct $253.20 * $0.5 Pick 5 (1/2/7-6-1-8-2/6) 5 Correct $1,170.20 * Pick 4 (6-1-8-2/6) 4 Correct $1,989.80 * Pick 3 (1-8-2) 3 Correct $221.40 * Trifecta (2-10-1) $363.40 * Daily Double (8-2) $46.80 * Exacta (2-10) $72.80 * Superfecta (2-10-1-13) $9,655.80

Winner picked by Vic C.

Attendance unavailable.

Trifecta, Daily Double

Nypost.com

Construction locked up the division title and probably a top three seed in the PSAL Class A playoffs.

Jona Kerluku and Amy Pirozek had three RBIs apiece to lead Construction to a 12-1 win over Bryant in PSAL Queens A-II softball Friday in Astoria. Britney Rodriguez gave up one run on three hits with seven strikeouts in six innings for the Red Hawks (15-1 Queens A-II).

Bryant (13-3) finishes second in league play and should also likely be a top 10 seed. The PSAL seeding committee meets Saturday morning.

McKee/Staten Island Tech 11, CSI/McCown 0: Natalie Vantuyn went 2-for-3 with three RBIs and a run scored and Amanda Mondello went 3-for-3 with two RBIs and three runs scored for MSIT (12-4 Staten Island A). Blayse Halvorsen gave up no runs on three hits with five strikeouts in six innings. CSI/McCown is 4-12.

Madison 13, Fort Hamilton 0: Jennie Hosty had a home run and four RBIs and Samantha Rodriguez and Danielle Mulle had two RBIs each for Madison (14-2 Brooklyn A). Fort Hamilton is 5-11.

Francis Lewis 15, Van Buren 0: Priscilla Lallave gave up no runs on three hits in four innings and Bianca Concepcion and Kiara Libreros both had three hits for Lewis (13-3 Queens A-I). Van Buren is 8-8.

Cardozo 14, Townsend Harris 2: Daysia Wheder went 2-for-3 with a homerun, five RBIs and two runs scored and Jasmine Estrada and Krystle Roldan each had two RBIs apiece for Cardozo (14-2 Queens A-I). Harris is 4-11.

Telecommunications 19, Grand Street 3: Ashley Delgado had three RBIs and Cristina Morales gave up no earned runs on five hits with eight strikeouts in six innings for Telecom (14-2 Brooklyn A). Grand Street is 7-9.

Stuyvesant 3, Manhattan Center 1: Morgan Higgins gave up one run on seven hits with eight strikeouts in seven innings for Stuyvesant (14-1 Manhattan A), which locks up coach Vinny Miller’s first division title. Liana Penny had two hits. Center is 9-7.

Petrides 8, Curtis 1: Jackie DiBello gave up one run on four hits with five strikeouts in seven innings for Petrides (8-8 Staten Island A). Curtis is now 3-13.

Petrides 8, Curtis 4: Jackie DiBello gave up one earned run on eight hits in seven innings for Petrides.

New Dorp 8, Port Richmond 5: Jennifer Freund had two hits for New Dorp (9-7 Staten Island A). PR is 4-12.

Environmental Studies 11, Beacon 6: Maria Tolentino went 1-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored and Eva Lassen had three hits for Environmental Studies (7-8 Manhattan A). Beacon is 7-9.

Hunter College HS 14, Murry Bergtraum 4: Tiffany Ramos had five RBIs and Jodi Krausher gave up one earned run on one hit with nine strikeouts in seven innings for Hunter (10-6 Manhattan A). Bergtraum is 1-14.

Next >

1

2

PSAL, Amanda Mondello, innings

Nypost.com

Wayne Hunter and Santonio Holmes have made up.

Hunter, the Jets right tackle, said yesterday at offseason training camp he and wide receiver Holmes have a “clean slate” after the two got into an on-field argument in the final game of last season in Miami, an incident that led to Holmes getting benched.

Hunter said the two cleared the air when the team began its offseason program last month. Holmes declined to comment on their talk.

The oft-criticized Hunter also said the coaches have assured him he remains their starter at right tackle.

“That hasn’t changed, whether people like it or not,” Hunter said.

BOUNTYGATE: An email has surfaced from an imprisoned friend of the Saints coaching staff with a postscript saying, “put me down for $5,000” on Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

The email, obtained by the Associated Press, was written from prison by marketing agent Mike Ornstein shortly before the Saints’ 2011 season opener against the Packers. Ornstein once represented Reggie Bush.

The bulk of Ornstein’s note discusses his experiences in prison and offers sometimes brash words of encouragement to various coaches, including then-Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. The last line states: “PS Gregg Williams put me down for $5000.00 on Rogers (sic).” Ornstein, who was released from prison last fall, says now that was written “in total jest.”

OFFICIALS: The NFL is looking for potential replacement officials while it negotiates with the officials’ association on a new contract. The league sent a memo potentially from current or retired college officials

VIKINGS: The team moved to within a governor’s signature of getting a new $975 million stadium yesterday after the state Senate approved a plan that relies heavily on public financing. Gov. Mark Dayton has said he’ll sign the measure.

Additional reporting by Associated Press

brian.costello@nypost.com

Santonio Holmes, Holmes, Wayne Hunter, Mike Ornstein, defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, Gregg Williams, Ornstein, prison

Nypost.com

OTTAWA—Canadian employers went on a hiring blitz for a second consecutive month in April for the best back-to-back job creation in over 30 years, adding almost six times more net new jobs than expected driven by a record increase in the goods-producing sector.

The gains, which were all in the private sector and mostly full-time, are likely to preserve the vigilant stance by the Bank of Canada, which some economists predict will pull back some of the stimulus and raise interest rates this year.

The economy created 58,200 net new jobs in April, Statistics Canada said Friday, following the addition of 82,300 positions in March. The gain over the two months is the best since January-February 1981. Employers hired 43,900 full-time workers and 14,300 part-timers last month.

The consensus call was for 10,000 net new jobs to be created, according to a report from Royal Bank of Canada .

The unemployment rate crept up to 7.3% from 7.2% previously, as the labor force swelled by 72,500. The participation rate, which is the share of the population in the labor force, went up 0.2 points to 66.8%, the highest since last September.

The Bank of Canada signaled last month that it may raise interest rates, saying that "some modest withdrawal of the present considerable monetary policy stimulus may become appropriate." But recent soft data and renewed concerns about the euro-zone debt crisis have cast doubt on how soon the Bank will act. The overnight rate has stood at 1.00% since September 2010.

Sal Guatieri, an economist at BMO Capital Markets said that while he believes the Bank is on track to move by January 2013, he acknowledged that the forecast may be brought forward if employment strength continues and economic growth picks up. As it is, he said the jobs report raises the possibility of second-quarter growth coming in higher than his current expectations for a 1.8% gain.

Nomura Securities foreign exchange strategist and economist Charles St. Arnaud, the employment report only reinforces his view that the Bank will increase interest rates by September.

"They already pre-announced their willingness to hike rates," St. Arnaud said in an interview, arguing that the output gap—the differential between actual and potential growth—is now at a level that preceded previous tightening cycles.

The goods-producing sector—notably construction, manufacturing and natural resources—added 70,000 jobs, the best in StatsCan's records dating to 1976.

Construction jobs rose by 24,600 while manufacturers filled 23,800 positions.

Mr. St. Arnaud said manufacturing has now posted job gains for five consecutive months for the first time since 2004, suggesting that a sector hard hit by the recession and the strong Canadian dollar may be on the mend.

Meanwhile, the services-producing sector lost 11,800 jobs. Public administration shed 32,400 jobs as federal and provincial governments embark on austerity measures. One bright spot was education services which saw 16,800 new jobs added.

Overall, StatsCan said employment in April was up 1.2% or 214,000 compared with a year earlier. Average hourly wages decelerated to 2.3% year-on-year from 2.6% previously. The rate for permanent workers slowed to 2.4% from 2.5%.

-By Nirmala Menon, nirmala.menon@dowjones.com, 613-237-0668

Write to Nirmala Menon at Nirmala.Menon@dowjones.com

SmartMoney Glossary:

Bank of Canada, interest rates, Royal Bank of Canada, Statistics Canada, private sector, St. Arnaud, Nirmala Menon, Bank

Online.wsj.com

Mike Vaccaro
Follow Mike on Twitter

Jeremy Lin’s left knee has wounded the Knicks. Badly.

And not only for the obvious reasons. Yes, it would have been helpful if Lin could have been healthy for the playoffs, if he could have played against the Heat. Maybe the Knicks win an extra game with Lin in the lineup. Maybe the offense looks less sickly. Maybe without the grind of all those extra minutes on his busted-up body, Baron Davis’ right knee would have been less susceptible to calamitous blowout.

All of those are interesting questions, and all are mere trivia. Because Lin’s absence across the season’s final six weeks only slightly altered what might have been for the 2012 Knicks. But it might profoundly alter where the Knicks go in 2013 and beyond.

Tomas E. Gaston

MAKING HIS POINT: Speaking to the media yesterday, Jeremy Lin said of returning to the Knicks next season, “Nobody really knows what’s going to happen.”

This is a team desperate for stability at the point-guard position, a traffic cop with the skill and savvy to direct the egos and ambitions of a high-salaried core. Can Lin be that? Maybe he can. Maybe he can’t. If nothing else, the last six weeks might have been able to better answer that fundamental question. Because right now, this is all the Knicks have to work on:

Maybe.

And maybe is a killer for this team, at this time in its history. They have to be right. If the Heat series proved anything, it’s that the Knicks can’t survive without a capable NBA point guard. Amar’e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler both need the guiding hand of a playmaker, and Carmelo Anthony needs the firm voice of an empowered quarterback.

Steve Nash is the popular name, and why not? He’s a Hall of Famer. He has an apartment in SoHo. He would fit nicely alongside the Big Three, and his presence might attract others to take less money to play here. But unless Nash either has an overwhelming jones to ride the subway to work or harbors some unknown affinity for the Knicks, he can make more money elsewhere — starting in Phoenix, which will overpay to keep him — or find a team resting closer to the NBA’s firmament. Maybe a reunion with Mike D’Antoni would have been that X-factor. But D’Antoni was forced to walk the gangplank in March.

That brings us back to Lin, who electrified the franchise when he tumbled out of the sky in early February, who for a couple of weeks was the most popular athlete on the planet, and who then vanished into a rabbit hole. Even before his knee betrayed him, the NBA had started to catch up to him, and this is what we learned: he probably wasn’t going to be the greatest point guard in the game’s history, and he wasn’t a D-Leaguer.

He was somewhere in between.

But where in between?

That’s what cost the Knicks the most. Seeing Lin run the team during a playoff drive, and into the postseason, they would have had a much broader idea of who he is and what he can be. Now? It’s all guesswork and supposition. It’s not unlike what happened to the Mets with Ike Davis last year: they really needed a full year to determine if Davis was a stopgap or a cornerstone at first base. They guessed cornerstone. And at last glance he was hitting .179.

Maybe Davis still will justify the Mets’ faith. It is almost certain Lin is going to force the Knicks to make a similar decision based on an similarly sparse sample size, because they simply can’t have what they had at the beginning of the year with Toney Douglas, or at the end with the calcifying Davis/Mike Bibby tag team: non-competitiveness at the point.

Lin is the chalk pick. They can guarantee his presence, which is something they can’t do with Nash, and something they shouldn’t do with the pedestrian pool of point guards likely to be available. Is Lin the absolute best option? It’s impossible to know that, and that’s the problem. But the Knicks do know they can keep him, and they know what he’s capable of when he’s at his best. It isn’t an ideal place to be.

But, then, when in the last 39 years have the Knicks ever sniffed that idyllic address?

mike.vaccaro@nypost.com

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The Rev. Jesse Jackson says of President Obama's decision to support gay marriage: "This is a bold step in the right direction for equal protection under the law for all citizens." (Frazer Harrison / Getty Images / May 10, 2012)

The Rev. Jesse Jackson on Thursday praised President Obama's decision to support same-sex marriage, comparing the battle for such unions to the fight against slavery and anti-miscegenation laws intended to keep blacks and other ethnicities from mingling and marrying with whites.

"This is a bold step in the right direction for equal protection under the law for all citizens," Jackson told the Los Angeles Times on Thursday morning. But, he said, he wished the president had gone further, pushing for federal protection for all citizens instead of leaving the controversial issue of gay marriage up to the states to decide.

If other hard-won civil rights battles had been left up to the states, Jackson said, African Americans would have been on the losing end of those battles.

"If the states had to vote on slavery, we would have lost the vote," Jackson said. "If we had to vote on the right [for blacks] to vote, we would have lost that vote."

His statement comes as a growing number of African American leaders and civil right activists are stepping forward to voice their support for same-sex marriage. Their positions are significant because there is a stronghold of opposition to same-sex marriage within African American communities. This week alone, African Americans voters were instrumental to passing North Carolina's constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.

Acknowledging that gap, Jackson called on religious leaders nationwide to address the issue with their congregations.

Jackson said gays and lesbians are among the ranks of soldiers dying for their country, the teachers educating the nation's children and even the pastors guiding parishioners through the Bible. It's time to reward gays and lesbians with equal protection, he said.

He urged opponents to remember that same-sex marriage isn't about taking rights away from anyone else, but rather extending those rights to all. He also recalled a painful time in America's not-too-distant past when African American men in the South faced swift punishment or even death if they tried to date a white woman, even as white men boldly dated across racial lines.

With such history in the rear-view mirror, Jackson said, it's time to stop dictating the actions of others.

"You may choose your mate, but you cannot deny someone else the right to choose their mate," he said. "The law protects you from being abused. It doesn't threaten your lifestyle for someone else to have the right to exhibit their lifestyle," he later added.

Other African-American leaders were also vocal this week in their support for gay marriage, joining Jackson in reframing the issue as one of civil rights.  

"I salute President Obama’s statement today supporting same-sex marriage," the Rev. Al Sharpton said in a statement that went on to add: "This is not about mine or anyone’s personal or religious views. It is about equal rights for all. We cannot be selective with civil rights. We must support civil rights for everybody or we don’t support them for anyone."

Newark Mayor Cory Booker, seen as a rising star in the Democratic Party, appeared on the Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC Wednesday to lend an impassioned voice in support of gay marriage rights.

And, earlier in the day, the social media savvy leader tweeted: "Historic day for justice and equality. Our United States President Obama endorses marriage equality. I rejoice in this announcement."

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The morning before St. Raymond faced powerhouse George Washington in the preseason, coach Marc DeLuca told Brian Paulino that it would be Anthony Colon and not him getting the start against the nationally ranked Trojans.

One period later, Paulino came back to DeLuca. He wanted to be the one on the mound. Colon said Paulino was ready and DeLuca complied.

“I wanted the ball that today, because they’re the No. 1 team in New York,” Paulino said. “They’re ranked. Everyone knows about them. I love pitching against big hitters. They’re very good. If I pitch great to a great team, then I’m just as great as them.”

An Rong Xu

St. Raymond beat All Hallows on Tuesday afternoon.

Paulino was dominant that day, giving up no runs, just one hit and striking out 10 in six innings in an eventual loss.

That victory was the foundation for the senior left-hander's solid season. He has been fantastic this spring, a run that continued Tuesday in a 2-1, eight-inning win over All Hallows in CHSAA Bronx/Manhattan ‘AA’ baseball at Ravens Field in The Bronx. Paulino, who thrives in big games, gave up one run on five hits with 14 strikeouts in eight innings to keep his team in first place.

“I just love the hype, I love all the enthusiasm, I get pumped up,” he said. “I love all that cheering. I live for that.”

St. Raymond (10-3) pulled out the thrilling win in the bottom of the eighth against All Hallows closer Stephen Alemais. Jeff Ramos walked, Kelvin Fuentes was hit by a pitch and both moved over on a wild pitch. With two outs, Cheyenne Reyes tapped a slow roller to third base that Luis Gonzalez couldn’t handle. Ramos scored and St. Ray’s had a walk-off win.

“[I thought] I just messed up my opportunity,” Reyes said. “I was gonna be disappointed in myself. As soon as I heard everybody cheering, a weight was lifted off my shoulders. It was like the greatest feeling of my life to get that walk-off even thought it wasn’t the hit that I wanted.”

All Hallows (7-5) pulled even in the top of the sixth when Jason Reyes singled in Alemais from second. Jason Reyes, the Gaels’ starter, was solid, giving up just one run on six hits with five strikeouts in 6-1/3 innings. Alemais came into the game in the seventh and struck out two to send the game to extra innings, but some control issues and Cheyenne Reyes’ dribbler ended the game an inning later.

“Now we have a very good opportunity to take the division,” Cheyenne Reyes said. “This is what we need to keep doing.”

Though the offense has produced fireworks, the key has been starting pitching. Anthony Colon, Julian Monserrate and Adam De La Cruz have been superb. And Paulino, who considered quitting baseball last season because of bouts with wildness, has arguably been the best of the bunch. It all started with that game against George Washington.

“I think that was the confidence he needed,” DeLuca said. “We knew he could pitch well and he knew it. That was the game he wanted and that was to prove that he belonged.”

mraimondi@nypost.com

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