St. John’s falls to Penn State in overtime

There are only so many mid-majors that St. John's can schedule.

After four straight home games resulted in four unimpressive wins against lesser competition, St. John's stumbled for the second time this season when presented with a challenge from a major conference, falling 89-82 in overtime to Penn State on Friday night at Barclays Center.

St. John's will play Georgia Tech in the consolation game of the Barclays Center Classic on Saturday.

Trailing by four in overtime, Phil Greene IV hit a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 81-80 with less than two minutes remaining. The Red Storm's comeback hopes ended, however, when still down one, but needing to foul, little-used Max Hooper clotheslined Tim Frazier and was called for a flagrant foul with 22.3 seconds left. That eventually resulted in four straight free throws for Frazier after another foul.

The Red Storm (4-2) took their first lead of the second half, 73-72, when D'Angelo Harrison (20 points) hit a runner in the lane with 47.5 seconds left. After a defensive stand, JaKarr Sampson made one free throw, then bit on a fake from Frazier (29 points), fouling him on a 3-point attempt with 6.1 seconds left.

Frazier hit all three, giving Penn State a 75-74 lead, but Harrison came right down the court and drew a foul with two seconds left. The Red Storm's leading-scorer missed the first, but hit the second to send it to overtime.

Behind D.J. Newbill's 25 points on 10-of-18 shooting, Penn State (6-1) took its biggest lead, 62-47, midway through the second half, but Hooper gave the Red Storm hope of improving their enormous outside shooting issues.

After playing a total of 27 minutes in the previous five games, Hooper erupted for five 3-pointers Friday, while Greene exploded for 11 points in a late 20-5 run to tie the game at 67 with less than three minutes left. Then, Harrison converted a four-point play with 1:26 to tie the game once again.

St. John's, the third-worst 3-point shooting team in the nation heading into the game, ended up hitting a season-best 11-of-20 from outside, but also utilized their aggression, jumping out on the break when possible. The Red Storm were balanced early and showed great ball movement, as seven players scored at least four points and the team assisted on 11 of its first 15 field goals.

The lead bounced back and forth throughout the first half until Penn State went on a 10-0 run late, taking a 40-29 lead with less than three minutes left before halftime. Hooper, who was 1-of-8 on 3-pointers entering the game, was then inserted and hit back-to-back treys, cutting the Nittany Lions' lead to 42-35 at the half.

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Jagr helps Devils snap three-game skid

RALEIGH, N.C. — Jaromir Jagr had a goal and two assists, and the Devils scored four goals in the third period of a 5-2 victory over the Hurricanes on Friday night.

Jagr's goal with 3:29 left was the 692nd of his career, tying him with Steve Yzerman for eighth on the NHL's all-time list.

Adam Henrique scored the go-ahead goal on a power play with 7:58 left after Andrei Loktionov tied it with 11:17 remaining.

Dainius Zubrus then added a goal off a deflection and also had an assist, after Mark Fayne scored an early goal to help the Devils snap a three-game losing streak.

Jeff Skinner and Jordan Staal scored in the second period to give the Hurricanes a 2-1 lead.

Cory Schneider stopped 16 shots in his first start since Nov. 21 for New Jersey.

The Devils trailed 2-1 entering the final period before the goals came in bunches.

Loktionov tied it with 11:17 left when his shot trickled past Ward. After a hooking penalty to Carolina's Riley Nash, Henrique won an offensive-zone draw before chipping in the rebound of Eric Gelinas' shot high past Ward to make it 3-2.

Zubrus then redirected a slap shot from Jon Merrill 1:50 later to put the Devils up by two goals. Jagr finished the scoring with his 36th career goal against the Carolina-Hartford franchise.

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BC Partners wins Pearson’s unit bid

Buyout shop BC Partners emerged as the winning bidder for Pearson's Mergermarket group after agreeing to pay $624 million.

BC Partners outbid not only PE rival Warburg Pincus, which was working with Mergermarket founder Caspar Hobbs, but also Condé Nast Chairman Si Newhouse Jr. and his sons.

The Newhouse family owns the American City Business Journals chain and would have added Mergermarket to that stable.

They attended management meetings and planned to use personal funds to pursue a bid, according to a source close to one of the bidders.

"They were not as quick with their due diligence" as the PE firms, the source said.

A Condé spokeswoman didn't return an e-mail for comment.

Ratings firm Fitch also made a bid, the source said.

Mergermarket is selling for 16 times its annual pre-tax income. The group makes most of its money from selling subscriptions to Debtwire, which focuses on the junk bond market, and Mergermarket, which reports on deal strategy. The business also includes Dealreporter.

While far from glamorous, the company has hundreds of reporters worldwide that break news on the more arcane areas of finance.

Pearson, which is focusing on education services, is selling the business for more than double what it paid for the start-up in 2006.

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Black Friday shines on Apple shares

Shares of Apple surpassed $550 for the first time since early January as the company made a big Black Friday push, offering gift cards for the purchase of select accessories and certain configurations of iPads, i-Pods and Macs at its stores.

Also helping push shares up 1.9 percent to $556.07 was a report that showed Apple sold three of every four smartphones in Japan last month.

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Giants’ Hakeem Nicks still has hope

Hakeem Nicks is putting together one of the worst contract runs in recent NFL history, but the Giants wide receiver hasn't lost hope yet.

In fact, despite failing to catch a single touchdown pass in 10 games, Nicks said he isn't even frustrated.

"Nah, man," Nicks said Friday. "I don't think this season's been frustrating. It's not over."

That's true, but the former No. 1 pick has just five more games — starting with Sunday night's NFC East visit to the Redskins — to show the Giants and every other team looking for a lead receiver he's worth the franchise-player designation or the substantial investment in free agency.

The Giants (4-7) just hope Nicks can find the end zone sometime soon after he was shut out the first 10 games and then held out by coach Tom Coughlin in last week's loss to the Cowboys because of an abdominal issue.

Nicks was a surprise game-day scratch last Sunday against Dallas, and he explained Friday Coughlin didn't allow him to play because Nicks hadn't practiced enough for his coach's liking during the week.

Coughlin didn't even give Nicks the chance to test his condition in pregame warmups, telling him instead at the pregame breakfast he wouldn't dress.

It was one of the Giants' biggest games of the season, and the loss might have doomed their hopes of making the playoffs, but Nicks said Friday he has moved on.

"Obviously, I always want to play," Nicks said. "But I've always got to respect Coach Coughlin, his rules and his wishes. I just tried to be positive. I still wanted to be there for my teammates on the sideline, helping out the best way I can.

"It was tough [sitting out], but the good thing about it now is, it's in the past. You can't dwell on it. The decision was made, and it is what it is."

Nicks had battled a groin injury earlier in the season, leading to speculation he could be suffering from a hernia when the Giants recently changed the designation to his abdomen.

But Nicks said Friday he was worried enough about that to have it checked out, but team doctors don't believe he is in danger of a hernia.

Nicks is listed as probable against the Redskins, and Coughlin said he has seen enough from the veteran wideout to think Nicks will be ready to go Sunday and his speed won't be affected.

"I hope not, let's put it that way," Coughlin said. "We need him to be full speed, that's for sure."

Nicks said the Giants won't have anything to worry about.

"I feel good," he said. "I feel real good. And I'm going to leave it at that. I practiced all week, and I think I showed them enough in practice that everything will be good to go."

But no amount of happy talk from Nicks can make up for his lack of production in a critical year for him, financially.

As well as being viewed as a bit injury-prone after missing three games last year, Nicks has been largely absent in crunch time this season. He's still capable of the big play — he's averaging a healthy 14.8 yards for his 42 receptions — but hasn't found the end zone and seemingly has been replaced by Rueben Randle as Eli Manning's primary receiving target alongside Victor Cruz.

Randle has six touchdown catches this year — a total that has to make Nicks envious as he approaches the final-argument stage for a big contract. But Nicks isn't going to dwell on that, at least not publicly.

"I've always got to be positive in my thought process," he said. "Any negative thinking isn't any good to myself or the team, so I just think we've got to keep on pushing and give ourselves a possible chance [at the playoffs] by winning the last five games.

"So we've got to win these last five, then see what happens."

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Giants want Coughlin to lead them in 2014

With the Giants playoff chances essentially sitting two outs in the bottom of the ninth from extinction — and with their head coach, Tom Coughlin, set to turn 68 before next season begins — we are rapidly approaching that time of year when questions about his future will become a topic of sports radio rant waves.

Unless the 4-7 Giants, who play at the Redskins Sunday night, win at least four of their final five games this will be their first losing season since 2004, when they went 6-10 in Coughlin's first season with the team.

If for some reason this season turns out to be it for Coughlin, whose contract runs through 2014, it would be a crime for a coach who has brought two Super Bowl championships to the franchise to have this bitter disappointment of a season end up being his final act.

There are no indications Coughlin will decide to walk away and the chances of Giants management firing him are as good as Mark Sanchez starting at quarterback for the Jets next season. But you never can discount the unexpected. Take this season as an example of that. Who expected this?

The perfect-ending dream of everyone who plays or coaches in sports is to go out on top. Almost none do. But figure on Coughlin giving it at least one more go in 2014. His players not only expect that to be the case; they practically beg for it.

"He is the New York Giants,'' cornerback Terrell Thomas said. "He epitomizes this organization as a selfless person who takes it all on his shoulders. When we lose, he takes all the blame, and when we win he gives us all the credit. When you see that over years, when you see that leadership, you take it upon yourself to start living that way and start acting that way as a team. That's why we didn't turn on each other when we were 0-6.''

Asked if he can imagine the Giants without Coughlin, Thomas said, "Not at all. I think this team would be in turmoil without him here. One of the main things he did this season was turn this team around. He turned a bunch of individual players into a team. It's his character.''

Never was the strength and resolve of Coughlin's character more impressive than after his 63-year-old brother, John, died suddenly following a fall on his way home from the Giants' Sept. 15 game against the Broncos at MetLife Stadium.

When many of us would have needed to check out from our professional lives to grieve, Coughlin set aside his broken heart and carried on, not allowing the tragedy to be about him and never interrupting his team's routine.

"I've been through situations like that, and I can damn sure tell you I didn't handle them as well as he did,'' defensive end Justin Tuck said.

"I was standing next to his brother on the sideline talking to him the day before he died,'' punter Steve Weatherford said. "For him to handle it the way he did says a lot about his faith and a lot about his commitment to the team, because a lot of people would have called in sick to be with their family.

"The way he handled it, he didn't make it about himself. He alerted the team what was going on and then got right into the plan for the next team. Special guy.''

Tuck said "marvel is a good word'' to describe how he views Coughlin.

"For a guy that's been as successful as he has as a coach and at 67 years old now to come in here and never waver one way or the other is amazing,'' Tuck said. "Football is such an emotional game with such high highs and low lows, but he is the true definition of never get too high with the highs and never get too low with the lows. If you let your emotions go with the way the team is performing, you'll die of a heart attack.''

However old you are right now, whether you are younger than Coughlin or a contemporary, imagine navigating through the stresses he does at 67 — particularly this season.

Asked what he figures he'll be doing at 67, Weatherford said, "I won't be doing anything like what he's doing. People tell me, 'I've never met anybody with as much energy as you.' But I think I met my match.

"He's unbelievable, especially considering he's 36 years older than I am. Amazing coach, but more importantly an amazing man and amazing leader.''

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Red alert: Tough sked upcoming for St. John’s

The junior varsity portion of St. John's schedule is over for now.

Beginning Friday night with the Barclays Center Classic, the Red Storm will face major conference opposition in three of their next four games, and the other foe — much-improved Fordham — is coming off one of its biggest wins in recent memory, a thrilling victory over Manhattan in the Battle of the Bronx on Tuesday.

The 4-1 Johnnies have won four games in a row, all at Carnesecca Arena against mid-major or lower competition. The most impressive victory was a come-from-behind 67-63 win over Patriot League favorite Bucknell, but the last two wins — over Monmouth and Longwood — were far from impressive.

"I'm really pleased with where our team is at, at this stage," St. John's coach Steve Lavin said Wednesday on WFAN. "I think we're there, we are on the brink now with this group of players — the firepower, the balance of size, strength, skill and quickness. We think we have a chance to do something special."

St. John's lost its lone contest thus far against major conference opposition when it fell in the season-opener to still undefeated Wisconsin, an early-season surprise with wins over Florida, West Virginia and Notre Dame. While the three other teams in this weekend's tournament — Friday's opponent Penn State, Ole Miss and Georgia Tech — aren't comparable to the Big Ten powerhouse Badgers, in style or level of play, it will be an interesting test for the still-developing Johnnies, a "challenge" Lavin believes.

St. John's got prized freshman point guard Rysheed Jordan back Tuesday after a one-game suspension for violating team rules, and the Philadelphia product performed well after a shaky start, with eight points, four assists and two steals. Chris Obekpa was the contest's other bright spot, continuing to serve as a menace around the basket with six blocked shots, six points and eight rebounds.

Lavin was pleased with his team's defense, holding Longwood to 33 percent shooting and tying a school-record with 15 blocks. Yet the club's offense remains a work in progress. St. John's is attempting 15.6 3-point shots per game, though it is only shooting 21 percent from beyond the arc. The Johnnies have gone to the free-throw line with more regularity in the last two games — an average of 24 times — and is averaging 69 points per game and shooting 43 percent from the field.

"Those are things we can work on," said junior guard D'Angelo Harrison, who is averaging a team-high 19.4 points per game.

Beginning in the preseason, Lavin has repeatedly said the Red Storm wouldn't jell until January or early February, and that seems to be evident through five games of up-and-down play.

"Each year there are three or four teams that blitz through the competition from start to finish of the season," Lavin said after the Longwood game. "The rest of the teams in the country you can throw in a hat and what will determine their degree of success is how much progress they make over the course of the season. The teams that improve the most between tonight and the middle of March are the ones that best position themselves for a postseason run."

The next few weeks could set St. John's up nicely, granted the Red Storm continue to improve and can stockpile wins against big-named foes.

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Cup-spiracy will cost Kidd $50K

Not only did "Cupgate" fail to get the Nets a win, it's also going to cost Jason Kidd some cash.

The NBA announced Thursday night it had fined Kidd $50,000 for intentionally spilling his cup of soda late in Wednesday's 99-94 loss to the Lakers in Brooklyn.

Because Kidd was caught on camera telling Tyshawn Taylor to "hit me" just before the player bumped into him, it isn't surprising the league would choose to crack down on the Nets coach.

Kidd's antics came with 8.2 seconds remaining in Wednesday's loss, and as Lakers guard Jodie Meeks was preparing to shoot the second of two free throws with the Lakers leading 96-94.

As Taylor exited the court as part of an offense-defense substitution with Mirza Teletovic, Kidd — who was holding a cup of soda with ice in it — clearly said "hit me" as Taylor walked toward him.

The two men collided, sending Kidd's drink onto the floor and causing the game to be stopped for a couple of minutes while the spill was tended to.

"The cup slipped out of my hand when I was getting Ty [out of the game]," Kidd said after the game, trying to justify the incident. "Sweaty palms. … I was never good with the ball, so. In the heat of the battle, you're trying to get guys in and out of the game, and the [soda] fell out of my hand."

During the ensuing delay, assistant coach John Welch — the team's de facto offensive coordinator — drew up a final play for the Nets, who were out of timeouts. After Meeks made the second free throw, Paul Pierce brought the ball up the court, came around a Kevin Garnett screen and was left open for a potential game-tying 3-pointer at the top of the key.

But the shot rimmed out, and a pair of meaningless free throws from Lakers swingman Xavier Henry set the final score, dropping the Nets to 4-11 and giving them a ninth loss in their last 11 games.

After the game, Taylor tried to downplay the incident, saying he had no idea Kidd had tried to initiate the contact.

"I didn't even know he was holding nothing, though," Taylor said in his defense. "Coach is drinking a soda on the sideline. … I was like, 'What's he doing?'

"[Spilling a drink] could ice a free-throw shooter and be a timeout when you don't have one, but that wasn't the thought process," Taylor added, drawing laughter from reporters. "I just was coming out and coach was in my way. 'Coach, get out my way!'"

This isn't the first time Kidd has made a strategic move along the sidelines during a crucial moment of the game — though the last time he did so was as a player.

In February 2009, when Kidd was playing for the Mavericks, he ran into then-Hawks head coach Mike Woodson while Woodson was out on the court. By doing so, Kidd drew a technical foul on Woodson in a game Dallas eventually would go on to win.

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Back in Denver, Melo feels strain of Knicks strife

DENVER — When Carmelo Anthony made his first return to Denver as a Knick, on March 13, his knee was swollen and full of fluid. He didn't last the game and flew home to have the knee drained.

Anthony makes his second return to Pepsi Center Friday night and the way he speaks now, you wonder whether he is full of regret about leaving the Nuggets in the first place.

This time, his knee is good but his ego is bruised, his spirit battered, his team in shambles. From a basketball standpoint, there isn't much for Anthony to be thankful for.

Forget Mile High. This is Mile Low for Anthony, who has never seemed this miserable as a Knick. He admits he's having no fun this season — an alarming admission with his expected free-agency set to occur in July. Money, to Anthony, is not everything.

The Knicks are collapsing amid a seven-game losing streak following Wednesday's 93-80 stinker at Staples Center against the Clippers. They are armed with a 3-11 record as they face the Nuggets, from whom Anthony orchestrated his departure in February 2011 — a trade many Knicks fans still question, believing their team gave up too many pawns. Last season at this juncture, the Knicks were flying high at 10-4 on the way to a 14-4 start.

"We had a special bond that team last year,'' Anthony said in the dead-quiet of the visitor's locker room late Wednesday night. "The trust factor was definitely there and the most important thing is we were having fun last year. This year it seems we're not having fun. Every situation is a pressurized situation for everybody. We got to get back to playing basketball and having fun. When the game is not fun anymore, you get results like this.''

Anthony, who never missed the playoffs with Denver, can't remember feeling this morose during a season.

"I got to keep my head up,'' he said. "No need to keep my head down. They see that, they see me walking around, moping around, upset, it's going to linger on.''

Matters are so depressing around the Knicks, Anthony had to have his memory jogged Wednesday night, and told the club was to depart for the Rocky Mountains the next afternoon.

He probably will be booed by Denver's spurned fans — unless they feel too much pity for his plight, which isn't solely his fault.

"I actually forgot I was going back to Denver,'' Anthony said. "When you're going though this, you kind of forget a lot of things. Last year wasn't a pleasant return. I got hurt, had to leave the game. Hopefully this year is a little bit different.''

Anthony was amid his roughest patch in March, but the Knicks were still winning. After sitting out a handful of games to rest a puffy knee, Anthony returned in Denver and looked as if he was playing on one leg. During the 117-94 Nuggets rout, in which he scored just nine points, Anthony literally walked off the court in the third quarter and headed for the locker room. After the game, he announced his intention to fly back to New York to have his knee drained.

"My knee was definitely messed up before that [game],'' Anthony said. "I wanted to give it a try. It was my first time going back. I just couldn't do it, had to leave, get it drained. This year, I feel pretty healthy.''

Anthony hasn't played badly during the seven-game slide, but neither is he making winning plays. It has been a mixed bag. He's averaging 26.5 points and shooting 42.6 percent — trying his career-low set in his rookie year of 2003-4 in Denver. He is rebounding with ferocity, averaging double digits for the first time (10.1), and playing harder than any Knick on the court.

Unfortunately, while Anthony has the knack for being the NBA's best player in getting his club to rally from 15 points down to five, he doesn't often carry it all the way home.

During his Knicks career, Anthony has a shockingly low number of defining moments in the game's final 30 seconds. He is now thrust into the role as sole leader with Tyson Chandler hurt and appears struggling with the task.

"We got to do it for one another,'' Anthony said. "Right now, the game is not fun for anybody. We're just not making it happen. We all got to be there for one another. The easiest thing for us is to go our separate ways and separate this team. It's the hardest thing to do right now is to remain positive."

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Shump changes: Coach having effect on Iman’s confidence

DENVER — The night Knicks coach Mike Woodson may have lost Iman Shumpert could have come on Nov. 20 in the heartbreaking overtime loss to the powerhouse Pacers. Shumpert hasn't been the same since that night, when Woodson criticized the guard for his last-second ticky-tack foul in contesting Paul George's 3-point attempt.

Shumpert and J.R. Smith, the Knicks' two shooting guards, look as a confused as a Rocky Mountain elk in headlights as the club concludes its four-game road trip Friday night at Pepsi Center.

Woodson is all but pleading for Shumpert and Smith to ramp it up before the Knicks' seven-game losing streak gets worse. They are in the coach's crosshairs.

The two guards sat together in the locker room after the latest debacle of a loss to the Clippers, whispering, giggling, like two wayward students who had just spent time in the principal's office.

"We got too many gaps right now,'' Woodson said at Staples Center after the locker room had been shut for more than 20 minutes because of an intense team meeting. "I got to get them playing to the level of last year. We need J.R. to play and score the ball. I need Iman to play and score the ball.''

When Woodson criticized Shumpert for his defense on George and hailed referee Joey Crawford for his eagle eyes, the coach may have had good intentions. Perhaps he was trying to teach Shumpert a lesson. It wasn't the time. Woodson needed to protect Shumpert. The foul call by the stickler Crawford cost the Knicks the game.

Woodson's spiel lasted two days and it has shaken Shumpert's spirit, confidence and moxie. It was a marginal foul and a less-bold referee would have let the play go and given the Knicks the home win instead of handing George three fouls shots at the Garden.

It took MSG Network's freeze-frame slo-mo replays to catch the graze. While Shumpert was thrown under the bus by Woodson, the Knicks coach ramped up his rhetoric in defending Carmelo Anthony, earning a $25,000 fine for three days of knocking the referees for their unfair treatment of Anthony. As we have learned, Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire, a minus-29 against the Clippers, are untouchables when it comes to public criticism from the head coach.

If Woodson lost Shumpert that night, the coach only has himself and his "tough love'' tactics to blame. Earlier this week, Woodson angrily called the perception he doesn't like Shumpert as a person "bull—-'' and doesn't want that theory "buzzing around'' any longer.

Woodson isn't saying he is perfect. Woodson admits he's hard on Shumpert — just as he was hard on Smith last season. Smith responded with a career season, an NBA Sixth Man Award and a new contract. If we are going to give credit to Woodson for bringing out the best in the mercurial Smith, the coach also should take the hit for bringing out the worst in Shumpert, who in the two games out West has scored two points on 1-of-8 shooting with one steal and three rebounds.

I got to know Shumpert better than most journalists early on. During the NBA's labor war, Shumpert wrote a weekly diary for The Post on being a locked-out rookie. Shumpert was the writer. I was his editor.

One time, I made an editing change that infuriated Shumpert because it made it look as if he was in awe of facing LeBron James and Dwyane Wade for the first time as a pro. "I'm not afraid of anybody,'' he told me.

He played that way for his first two seasons, God bless him. He played with fire, fearlessness and ferocity. Until this season.

Something is wrong. Maybe seeing Denver's Kenneth Faried, the ferocious rebounding forward Steve Mills wants to exchange for Shumpert on Friday night, will bring back the old Shump.

Knicks fans and his former editor miss him.

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A day full of hot air: My wild adventures in the Macy’s Parade

The other day someone who apparently likes President Obama called me a clown because I was investigating the Census Bureau's falsification of unemployment data.

So today I decided to prove to you that I really was a clown — for one day, although not on the day the president's supporter claimed. As the photo accompanying this column shows, I was officially one for a huge audience — the nationally televised Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

I'm supposed to mention stuff like quantitative easing, Ben Bernanke, the unemployment rate and corporate earnings in a column like this. I just did. Now I'm going to talk about the parade.

By my kids' count, I've been in four Thanksgiving parades, helping to hold down Kermit the Frog in 2003, SpongeBob SquarePants during his inaugural appearance in 2004 and Charlie Brown the following year.

I became a clown on Thanksgiving Day 2006, although by the time I got my costume they had run out of rubber noses. So my everyday nose and some hastily applied lipstick had to do.

Maybe it's old age — or, I hope, the fact that I had to get up so early in the morning — but except for a few incidents, all the parades seem like a blur to me.

Thankfully, my kids have better memories.

John Crudele, second from right.Photo: John Crudele

I didn't recall, for instance, that the wife of the late Peanuts cartoonist Charles Schultz and their son helped us hold the strings for Charlie Brown.

I did remember that Jerry Seinfeld and the Mrs. showed up to see us off before Kermit was let out from under his protective netting. (He — Seinfeld, not Kermit — knew someone on our team but didn't want to join us.)

There was the incident when one of SpongeBob's lines got caught on a light pole on Broadway, the old parade route. It was the line I was assigned to, but in a stroke of good luck I was off-duty at the time, and my replacement was snagged. (Yes, that's an intentional pun. Lighten up, it's a holiday.)

Nobody really knew if SpongeBob was parade-worthy. He was huge and square — as your kids could tell you — and flew like a kite. We were told that SpongeBob could be scrapped at any moment during the parade and deflated on a side street.

A cop with a knife came to our rescue. He cut the tangled line, and the whole parade was able to proceed without anyone except the thousands of people on that street knowing what had happened.

There was also the time that I got into trouble because of Charlie Brown, although I think Lucy would have been proud.

You have to understand that the parade moves very slowly along its route, and there is more waiting than marching. So during the breaks I was allowing kids along the sidewalk to take hold of the slack in my line.

Their parents would take a picture of them holding a balloon in the Macy's parade and everyone was happy — until I got caught.

I figured the only thing I did wrong was not charging them for the photo op. But the boss man saw things differently, so I vowed never to do it again.

And I kept that promise by becoming a clown the next year.

That job, of course, came with no strings attached. (You should have seen that one coming.)

You are probably wondering how someone gets into the parade. Well, I guess you could become famous like all the singers and actors who are featured on TV. Or a better way, if you are untalented like me, is to work for Macy's.

Most of the people who work the parade are store employees and relatives who come from around the country.

So how did I get in, since I have neither talent nor a job at Macy's?

My big break came during a cab ride from the Bronx back to the office in the spring of 2003. I was traveling with one of The Post's corporate lawyers when she happened to mention that she was in charge of the crew for one of the floats.

"Nice," I said, because to say otherwise would have been rude, since she was picking up the fare.

"Would you like to be in the parade?" she asked.

"Sure," I said (before I had fully considered the fact that the parade is in November, which means it's cold, and you have to get up very early to come into a crazy, crowded city). "But only if my kids can also be in the parade."

Volunteering my kids, I figured, was a great way out. She could probably get me in, but not all of us.

But my kids got the OK before I could even ask them if they wanted to do it. The way I figured it, if I had to be in the parade, so did they. (My youngest, Kim, clearly not swayed by parental pressure, never took part.)

So here's my advice: If you are ever asked to participate in something as cool as the Thanksgiving Parade, just say yes. You can always try to wriggle out of it later. ("Damn, I forgot that I have to watch the turkey defrost.")

My second piece of advice: Be careful if you call someone a clown, because they just might be one — at least for a day.

Have a happy Thanksgiving!

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Struggling Islanders lose another one in November

It's going to be a sour Thanksgiving for the Islanders, and that's something they're entirely used to.

Continuing their seasonal second-month swoon, the Islanders dropped their fourth game in a row on Wednesday night at the Coliseum, a 3-2 loss to the Jets that was as disheartening as it was predictable.

For the past four years, the Islanders (8-14-3) have made it a habit of falling to pieces in the second month of the season — which traditionally has been November, but was February last season as a result of the lockout. This loss was the Islanders' ninth in the past 11 games, and took them to 4-9 this month. Over the past four years, their record in the second month is now 13-33-5.

"I wish I had an answer," forward Frans Nielsen said before the game. "I was actually wondering the other day what our record is in November in the last four years."

When told, Nielsen still had little in a way of an explanation.

"I knew it," he said. "For some reason we do struggle, but I don't have an answer."

John Tavares got his 11th goal of the season with just under six minutes remaining in the third to cut the lead to 3-2, but by then, it was too little, too late.

Though the Islanders often dictated the pace of the game, they had a lackadaisical couple of minutes in the second period and the Jets (12-11-4) made them pay. Just over 11 minutes in, it was fourth-line center James Wright winning a draw backward, and defenseman Mark Stuart taking it off the wall and firing a slap shot past Kevin Poulin's glove for a 1-0 lead.

It was almost identical to the goal Evander Kane scored on Monday night at the Prudential Center, when the Jets opened this six-game road trip with a 3-1 win over the Devils.

Just about three minutes after Stuart's goal, Islanders rookie defenseman Matt Donovan tried to rush the puck through the neutral zone and was stripped by Bryan Little. The Jets went the other way on a 3-on-2, and captain Andrew Ladd slipped a backhand passed Poulin, making it 2-0.

Not done just yet, the Jets piled on a third goal two minutes later when Devin Setoguchi tipped one from the high slot, his sixth of the season.

The Islanders didn't allow their former backstop, Al Montoya, to walk out with the shutout, though. Andrew MacDonald fired a power-play slap shot with just over two minutes remaining the second, cutting the lead to 3-1. It was the Islanders' second power-play goal in their previous 23 attempts.

The Islanders pushed the play in the scoreless first, and got two golden opportunities when the Jets took two penalties in sequence late in the period. Though the power-play group generated a lot of zone time and a handful of shots, they couldn't beat Montoya.

But on the second chances, with just under three minutes remaining in the frame, it was do-it-all defenseman Dustin Byfuglein getting behind Montoya and making a left-leg kick save on a deflection in front, keeping the game scoreless.

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Arizona storms back from first-half deficit in NIT semis

After 53 years, the NCAA Tournament will makes its long-awaited return to Madison Square Garden in March.

But, the Madness couldn't wait.

No. 4 Arizona escaped the first semifinal of the NIT Season Tip-Off on Wednesday night with a 66-62 win over Drexel, coming back from a 19-point first-half deficit to keep alive the hopes of a title game matchup with No. 6 Duke, who played Alabama in Wednesday night's other semifinal.

Arizona freshman Aaron Gordon was underwhelming in his Garden debut, scoring 10 points on 2-of-6 shooting, but the Wildcats got great guard play from upperclassmen T.J. McConnell and Nick Johnson, who led the team with 20 points.

Drexel guard Chris Fouch, a sixth-year senior from The Bronx, scored a game-high 29 points.

After being held to 20 points in the first half, Arizona (6-0) came out running after the break, taking its first lead at 33-31 with a 13-2 run sparked McConnell. Drexel looked ready to collapse, continually forcing shots after seeing so many unlikely attempts land in the first half, but the Dragons bounced back, trading multiple leads throughout the second half.

Drexel suffered its biggest blow when second-leading scorer Damion Lee limped off the court with a leg injury midway through the second half with the Dragons leading 51-48. Lee was one of three Drexel players to score through the first 27 minutes.

Arizona's interior advantage only amplified, with 7-footer Kaleb Tarczewski finishing with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Gordon added 13 boards.

On Tuesday, Gordon acknowledged pundits don't know where to place him among the elite newcomers in the nation, noting he is seen as on the border of belonging alongside freshmen sensations Jabari Parker, Andrew Wiggins and Julius Randle.

Against Drexel, Gordon hardly looked worthy of being mentioned in the same conversation, getting consistently out-muscled on the offensive end and blocked on several shot attempts.

Drexel (3-2) jumped out to a 9-0 lead and took their biggest lead at 27-8 with under seven minutes left in the first half, after Fouch drilled a deep 3-pointer with the shot click winding down. Fouch, who missed all of last season with an ankle injury, scored 16 points in the first half, combining with Frantz Massenat to score 25 of the team's 29 first-half points.

Even if it was too early to panic, it was early enough for confusion, as Arizona looked overwhelmed and committed 10 turnovers in the first half, while making only six field goals.

Despite superior size and speed, Arizona looked like it wanted to hide, while the Dragons embraced every second of its rare moment in a spotlight game.

Eventually, Drexel went cold, missing 11 straight shots while Arizona went on an 11-0 run in the final minutes to cut the deficit to 29-20 at halftime.

And then, Arizona reminded everyone of its ranking.

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Devils rally falls short in loss to Hurricanes

The successful West Coast road trip is now just a distant memory for these Devils.

Patrick Dwyer scored short-handed to cap a three-goal burst in the second period, and the Hurricanes snapped their six-game road losing streak with a 4-3 victory over the Devils on Wednesday night in Newark.

The Devils, who trailed 4-1 after two periods, rallied with goals from Andy Greene and Jaromir Jagr, but it wasn't enough.

It was the Devils' second consecutive loss at the Prudential Center since their return from a 2-1 West Coast trip. They lost 3-1 to the Jets on Monday.

Justin Faulk scored his first of the season, and Tuomo Ruutu and Ron Hainsey each had a goal for the Hurricanes, who opened a 4-1 lead and held on behind 19 saves from Cam Ward. Eric Staal's assist extended his season-best points streak to seven games.

Travis Zajac also scored for the Devils, who lost their third in a row — all with Martin Brodeur in goal.

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Furious Nets rally falls short against Lakers

It appeared, for a brief moment, as if the Nets might be able to pull off a miraculous comeback victory Wednesday night, the kind that could potentially spark them into the kind of season they were expected to have.

Instead, as they have several times this season, they simply couldn't make the plays they needed down the stretch. And, like those times, the Nets again fell short, losing 99-94 to the Lakers inside Barclays Center.

The Nets (4-11) suffered from a disastrous opening 15 minutes, which saw them fall behind by 27 early in the second quarter, forcing them to try and drag themselves all the way back into the game.

Trailing by nine points entering the fourth quarter — and after trailing the entire game — the Nets stormed back behind 14 fourth-quarter points from Mirza Teletovic, who tied the game at 92 by hitting one of two free throws with 3:57 remaining.

But after Teletovic's 3-pointer with 4:25 remaining had pulled the Nets to within 92-91, they went on to miss their next six shots in a row, keeping them from capitalizing on several chances to take their first lead of the game. The Lakers regained the lead with 1:33 remaining when Wes Johnson — after intercepting a lazy cross-court pass from Paul Pierce to Joe Johnson — raced upcourt alone and slammed the ball home to give the Lakers a 94-92 lead.

After Alan Anderson, Johnson and Kevin Garnett all missed shots on the ensuing possession, the Nets intentionally fouled Steve Blake, who went to the foul line and made one of two to put the Lakers ahead 95-92 with 17.2 seconds remaining.

Anderson then found an open crease and drove to the rim for a dunk with 9.8 seconds left to bring the Nets back within one, and causing Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni to call a timeout.

Jodie Meeks then made two free throws to give the Lakers a 97-94 lead with 8.2 seconds remaining. The Lakers opted not to foul, and Pierce came around a Garnett screen with an open look at a 3-pointer from the top of the key. But his shot rimmed out, and a pair of meaningless free throws from Xavier Henry set the final score, which handed the Nets their ninth loss in their last 11 games.

Nick Young led the Lakers (8-8) with 26 points, while Johnson had 18 points and Teletovic 17 to lead five players in double figures for the Nets.

The Nets wasted no time digging themselves a hole, as Lakers point guard Steve Blake — filling in for injured Steve Nash — opened the game with a pair of 3-pointers that kick-started an 11-2 Lakers run. Things didn't get much better for the Nets, who fell behind 17-6 and eventually 34-18 to end a truly brutal first quarter.

Brooklyn shot just 38.9 percent form the field in the first quarter while committing six turnovers that led to seven Lakers points. The Lakers, meanwhile, shot 65 percent from the field — including 66 percent from 3-point range — and doubled up the Nets, 10-5, in the rebounding department while recording assists on 10 of their 13 field goals in the quarter.

Things only got worse for the Nets at the start of the second, as former Net Jordan Farmar knocked down four straight 3-pointers to open the quarter, almost single-handedly pushing the Lakers to a 14-3 run and giving them a 48-21 lead with 8:30 to go in the second quarter.

The Nets, however, responded with a 15-0 run to get back into the game. Anderson kicked it off with a pair of 3-pointers from the wing, and Shaun Livingston capped it with a fast-break layup that pulled the Nets within 48-36 with an even four minutes remaining in the first half.

After the two teams went into halftime with the Lakers leading 54-40, the Nets came out and played well for the second straight third quarter — a surprising development for what has easily been the league's worst third-quarter team.

Behind 10 points from Pierce — who had gone scoreless in just under 11 minutes in the first half — the Nets shot 50 percent from the field in the third and committed just one turnover, winning the quarter by five points and setting up a dramatic finish.

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Severe, Fordham stun Manhattan

When Jon Severe surprisingly signed with Fordham, it was clear the reigning New York State Mr. Basketball would have a major impact on the program. And it didn't taken long.

The freshman guard poured in a season-high 30 points — 22 of them in th first half — in the 106th Battle of the Bronx, earning the MVP award after leading the Rams to a 79-75 upset over Manhattan Tuesday night at Draddy Gymnasium.

Branden Frazier gave the Rams the final lead with an acrobatic layup with 59.3 seconds left, as they went up 75-73. Manhattan's Michael Alvardo then missed a deep 3-pointer and Fordham's Travion Leonard capped the night with a dunk with 2.9 seconds left.

After a scorching first half, Severe went scoreless over the first 14 minutes of the second half, missing his first seven shots, but the freshman then hit two 3-pointers, one tying the game at 70 with 4:34 to play.

Less than four minutes into the second half, Manhattan took its first lead since the game's opening minutes, 51-49, on a George Beamon 3-pointer. The senior led Manhattan with 24 points and 11 rebounds.

The teams traded leads multiple times in the second half, with Rhamel Brown's imposing interior defense forcing Fordham into 4-of-18 shooting to open the half.

As expected, the first half began with Manhattan owning the glass and Fordham firing from deep, only the Rams' streaky shooters were connecting. Severe hit his first 3-pointer and scored eight of the team's first 10 points.

Though the freshman picked up his second foul in less than five minutes, Fordham coach Tom Pecora felt he had to keep Severe in the game if the Rams were going to stay in it. The gamble paid off, as Severe and Mandell Thomas combined for the team's first 25 points, giving the Rams a surprising 11-point lead.

The Rams moved the ball well, assisting on six of their first nine field goals, as the team shot 53.6 percent from the field in the first half.

Severe shot just about as soon as he touched it nearly every possession, but most touches worked out well. He was 7-of-10 in the first half, while Beamon shot 1-of-9 in the first half.

Jaspers sharpshooter Shane Richards hit 3-of-5 3-pointers, but his teammates missed their nine attempts and trailed 43-39 at the break.

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Just say ‘neigh’ to ‘Rodeo Girls’

Looks like Darcy LaPier, famous for marrying extremely wealthy men, has bought herself a new toy: a reality TV series.

I can't think of any other explanation for "Rodeo Girls," which plays like a boring vanity project disguised as a six-part A&E series. It purports to document the jet-setting LaPier's attempts to fit in as a newbie "barrel racer" — a rodeo sport open only to women who, on horseback, navigate their mounts around a barrel to win prize money (if their horse hits the barrel, they're penalized).

The enhanced, fortysomething LaPier (and her trout pout) are supposed to be the main draw here, given her back story of having married and divorced both Ron Rice — the founder of Hawaiian Tropic — and actor Jean-Claude Van Damme (once dubbed "The Muscles from Brussels").

Her third husband, Herbalife founder Mark Hughes, died a year into their marriage at the age of 44. His death was ruled an accidental overdose of alcohol and antidepressants — though, on "Rodeo Girls," LaPier claims that he died from a "respiratory ailment."

Whatever. It's hard to feel much empathy for LaPier, since the show's premise is that she flaunts her fabulous wealth, including the purchase of a $200,000 barrel horse, while her "mean girls" competitors — Marvel, Barb, Megan and Jessica — snicker behind her back about how "you can't just buy the horse, you gotta ride it."

Because there's nothing much going on here besides flirting cowboys and lots of beer-drinking, the producers pile on the supposed "drama" with the requisite reality show staples: forced conflict augmented by quick-cut editing and doomsday music and staged scenes.

There's even a vignette where, during a night out on the town, LaPier just magically happens to be lurking near a barroom table while her "friends" bash everything about her. Cue the dramatic music and cut to LaPier's meltdown (well, OK, as much emotion as her seemingly frozen face will allow) as she launches into the speech about how she'll prove herself to her catty competitors because she tries so much harder.

Watching the "Rodeo Girls" premiere means you'll invest an hour of your life that you'll never get back. Hoof it away from here ASAP.

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Nets hold off Raptors to snap losing streak

TORONTO — Apparently all it took for the Nets to figure things out was to leave the country.

After spending the past five games — and virtually their entire season — struggling to control the paint, win the transition battle and play well in third quarters, the Nets did all three on their way to a 102-100 victory over the Raptors inside Air Canada Centre, but it wasn't easy.

It looked as if the game was in the bag when the Nets held a 101-86 lead with a little more than three minutes left. But the Raptors went on a 14-1 run, and had the ball with 10.7 seconds remaining after went 1-for-2 at the foul line.

But Rudy Gay drove into the heart of the defense and kicked it out to Amir Johnson, whose corner 3-pointer was short, and Jonas Valanciunas' tip missed the mark. Coach Jason Kidd put his head in his hands in a sign of relief as he walked onto the court, as the Nets narrowly skirted what would have been a catastrophic loss.

The Nets (4-10), who had lost five straight and eight of their previous nine entering Tuesday night's contest, needed a win, if for no other reason than to give this team a chance to exhale after injuries and overall ineffective play sidetrack what began as the most anticipated season in franchise history.

After another quality first half, the question was whether the Nets, who have been the NBA's worst third-quarter team, would be able to shake off their season-long demons after halftime.

This time, however, the Nets jumped out to a quick 10-4 run to open the quarter, with a Kevin Garnett jumper and Joe Johnson 3-pointer followed by five straight points from Paul Pierce that forced Raptors coach Dwane Casey to call a timeout.

As the quarter wore on, however, the Raptors (6-8) slowly clawed their way back into the game, and eventually closed to 77-76 on a Terrence Ross jumper with 1:04 left in the quarter.

But Tyshawn Taylor and Johnson scored on drives on back-to-back possessions to end the quarter for the Nets, sending them into the fourth with a 81-76 lead. They then scored nine of the first 13 points in the fourth to take a 89-80 lead with 8:42 left that would prove to be enough just to carry them to the finish line.

Andray Blatche led four Nets in double figures with 24 points on 10-for-16 shooting, Johnson added 21 points, six rebounds and four assists and Pierce had 16 points, four rebounds and four assists.

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Venezuela headed for chaos

Venezuela is in a death spiral that could produce a crisis for the United States. Economic collapse, incompetent leadership and Cuban meddling may provoke a showdown among well-armed chavista rivals, with civilians caught in the crossfire. US diplomats, who've spent years ignoring or minimizing threats emanating from Venezuela, must act urgently to prevent a Syria scenario on our doorstep.

The late dictator Hugo Chávez left behind a mess: His divisive, illegitimate regime polarized society and devastated the economy. Inflation is running at 50 percent, while the vital oil sector is faltering. The bloated, bankrupt state can't sustain the social spending that kept the peace; the nation already faces food shortages, power outages and rampant crime.

Chávez's hapless successor, Nicolás Maduro, won disputed elections in April in what even he called a "Pyrrhic victory." His mismanagement since has only hastened the country's decline — for example, dealing with toilet-paper shortages by confiscating paper companies.

Maduro has resorted to accusing the Obama White House of plotting the collapse of the Venezuelan economy. He's also created a "vice ministry of supreme social happiness" in an Orwellian gesture to tamp down widespread social anxiety. He even moved up Christmas celebrations up in advance of the Dec. 8 local elections.

Last week, Maduro publicly ordered retailers to lower prices on consumer goods. Security forces arrested dozens of shopkeepers and stood by as mobs emptied store shelves. Good luck seeing those shelves restocked. As he further tightens economic controls, Venezuelans will have to settle for what the government provides. Their only other choices: Flee the country, turn to crime — or oppose the regime.

Maduro is most worried about the last. He recently ordered the detention of several civic leaders who'd been mobilizing protest rallies. Regime sources say that he may even nix the upcoming elections and jail well-known opposition politicians.

Most blame these draconian measures on Maduro's Cuban handlers, the puppeteers behind his rise to power. The destitute Castro regime's survival depends on Venezuelan oil, so it means to keep Maduro in power by repressing popular unrest and ferreting out dissent — including within the regime.

By pushing Maduro to purge powerful chavistas — many with ties to the military — who disapprove of Havana's heavy hand, the Cubans have likely overreached. This crackdown has stoked tension within the military between those aligned with Maduro and nationalists who've never been comfortable in a Cuban harness.

The regime has very little room to maneuver. Virtually every Venezuelan is infuriated by the daily fight for survival. The anti-chavistas are fed up with the harassment by an illegitimate and incompetent one-party state. All sides in the military are busy weighing their options.

Any act of repression, street brawl, electoral fraud or corruption scandal could unleash all the fury built up over the regime's 15 years. Tragically, the sight of military units squaring off in the streets of Caracas is not a distant memory.

The United States imports about half the Venezuelan petroleum that it did when Chávez was elected in 1998, but that's still 9 percent of our foreign oil purchases. Plus, an implosion of Venezuela's economy — or, God forbid, prolonged civil warfare — will roil the international oil markets and destabilize the region when the US economy is sputtering.

What's worse, in the last decade, Venezuela has become a narco-state, with dozens of senior officials and state-run enterprises complicit in the lucrative cocaine trade. The regime also is an ally of Iran and Hezbollah, which may find their own ways to exploit chaos in Venezuela.

Geography makes the bloodbath in Syria all but invisible to Americans, but Venezuela is a three-hour flight from Miami and No. 3 in the world in social networking. The US public will see photos and videos of innocent demonstrators mowed down in the street. Moreover, in the Americas, the United States will be expected to lead.

The Obama administration must work with regional partners to respond to the brewing crisis. It should invoke the Inter-American Democratic Charter as a step toward restoring democratic governance, and to warn Maduro and military leaders that they'll be held responsible for violence against citizens.

If the administration fails to confront these events decisively, Congress should demand action and make clear to the president that leading from behind is not an option.

Roger F. Noriega was US ambassador to the OAS and assistant secretary of state under President George W. Bush. He is an American Enterprise Institute visiting fellow and managing director of Vision Americas LLC, which represents US and foreign clients.

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Sale of sports data service could fetch $200M

The dominant sports industry statistics provider is looking to make its own big score.

Stats, known for providing almost instantaneous game and player information to fantasy football applications and TV sports commentators, is on the sale block, The Post has learned.

Stats provides up-to-date data to sports leagues such as the NBA and tracks nearly 230 sports leagues globally.

Sources peg the value of the Northbrook, Ill.-based firm at around $200 million.

The rising value of sports-media rights is helping boost related businesses. Bidding on IMG Worldwide, the sports and entertainment giant, is in the region of $2.5 billion, while Learfield, a college sports communications company, recently sold a majority stake to Providence Equity Partners for around $1 billion.

Potential suitors for Stats include private-equity firms, sources say.

The business may also fit into the digital sports portfolio of UK-based Perform, a digital sports business backed by Access Industries' billionaire Len Blavatnik.

The sale is being conducted by boutique investment bank Raine Group, according to sources familiar with the talks.

The stats service, which also has offices in China and India, is currently co-owned by 21st Century Fox and Associated Press news service.

Fox Sports acquired the firm in 2000, and later merged it with AP MegaSports.

The company, whose name stands for Sports Team Analysis and Tracking Systems, was founded in 1981 by John Dewan.

It counts around 600 clients around the world and funnels data to betting operations, leagues and broadcasters among others.

Reps declined comment.

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In a rough fall for N.Y. sports, Fordham offers hope

You see a lot of maroon walking around the boroughs these days, a lot of baseball caps with a solid "F" on the front, a lot of sweatshirts and windbreakers with the head of a ram on it.

Says the Fordham alma mater: And in the years that are to be / May life and love be true to me.

And it isn't terrible to be good at sports, either.

"People have wanted to have something to cheer about for a long time around here," Fordham basketball coach Tom Pecora said. "The people who care about this university show support in a lot of bad times. It's good to see what happens in the good times."

Pecora has watched what the success of Fordham's football team has meant to the denizens of the campus, to the students and the alumni, both the recent ones, who suffered through a lot of hard athletic times and the older ones, who fortify so many of the city's businesses and institutions.

He has seen Joe Moorhead, Class of '96, disprove Thomas Wolfe, seen him go home again, seen the old Rams quarterback return to Rose Hill and inherit a 1-10 mess of a program, seen him start this season 10-0, seen him take this 11-1 gem — one of the few things we have to feel good about in New York sports, truth be told — and lead it to a home playoff game this Saturday against Sacred Heart.

"It's good to be relevant at the water cooler again," Pecora said.

In an autumn devoid of New York baseball, when both football teams have scuffled, when the pro basketball teams might be accused of tanking if either of them owned a draft pick between now and 2037, we are left with a couple of encouraging things. The Rangers are playing better. In Queens, St. John's has an awful lot of interesting young players getting to know each other.

And in The Bronx, there has been this wonderful little football story, which has brought the wonders of Saturday afternoon back to the former home of the Seven Blocks of Granite. Brought football back to a basketball school that in truth hasn't been much of a basketball school, either, during the lifetime of most of the student body.

"It makes you realize what's going to be possible here," Pecora said. "And you can see how much the alumni and the fans are hungry for that."

This is Year Four for Pecora, and after a rough tour of the wilderness there is finally a sign the plan he has put in place is close to bearing fruit. The Rams are 2-2 heading into Tuesday's Battle of The Bronx at Manhattan, they are young (one senior), and they feature the most exciting freshman to play at Rose Hill in years, Christ the King's Jon Severe, who has scored more points after four games than any freshman in school history.

Beyond that, there is help on the way. Pecora got a huge commitment a few weeks ago from Dobbs Ferry native Eric Paschall, a highly regarded 6-6 forward who will join Severe to give the Rams a 1-2 punch that has been absent for a team with one winning season since 1992 and is still smarting from a two-season, 5-51 run, from 2008-10.

And unlike the football team, which plays in precisely the league it should be playing in (the Patriot League), an FCS gathering of philosophical equals, the basketball team competes in the rugged high-mid-major Atlantic 10, a conference with a few like-minded schools (Duquesne, St. Bonaventure, La Salle) but a preponderance of others that are either deep-pocketed state schools (Rhode Island, UMass) or well-financed basketball legacies (Saint Louis, Dayton, VCU, Richmond).

"We've put most of the pieces in place," Pecora said. "We've expanded the recruiting base. We've upgraded talent. We've developed young players, and improved the game-night experience. That was all necessary."

And all prelude.

"Now," he said, "we have to win."

He sees the rewards to be reaped, sees it every day as the football team prepares for its big moment Saturday, and whatever lies beyond. And he knows how fragile what he's building can be; the other day, in practice, Severe went up for a layup and a well-intentioned walk-on stepped in late trying to draw a charge.

When Pecora's heart started ticking again, he thanked the kid for his hustle and his grit.

"And please," he said, "don't do that again."

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Obama heckled by his own supporters

WASHINGTON — These days, President Obama even gets heckled by his supporters.

A young man standing onstage with Obama at an event Monday in San Francisco disrupted the president's speech by shouting pro-immigration slogans.

"There are thousands of immigrants deported every day," yelled the heckler, who was a member of the multi-cultural crowd that the White House had assembled behind the president.

Obama, who was at the Betty Ann Ong Chinese Recreation Center to promote his stalled immigration-reform agenda, responded, "That's exactly what we're talking about. That's why we're here."

The heckler continued to beseech the president, giving voice to the growing impatience for action among Obama's base.

"Please use your executive order to halt deportations for all 11.5 million undocumented immigrants in this country right now!" he screamed. "You have a power to stop all deportations."

"Actually I don't. That's why we're here," Obama replied, facing the heckler.

Several audience members began chanting: "Stop deportations! Stop deportations!"

But the unrest quickly settled as Secret Service agents moved in.

"Don't worry about it, guys," Obama said, calling off his bodyguards. "These guys don't need to go."

The crowd cheered.

"I understand the passion of these young people, because they feel deeply about the concerns for their families," he said.

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Devils downed by Jets, 3-1

How much reasonably could have been expected out of the Devils was the question. And the answer turned out to be New Jersey's team was still California Dreamin'.

On a lazy Monday night in Newark, the Devils returned home to Prudential Center after a successful three-game road trip out west and played a steady but mostly ineffective game against the Jets, losing 3-1.

Coach Pete DeBoer said before the game he was unsure what he was going to get out of his team after winning two of three against the Kings, Ducks and Sharks, and what he got was a safe game, one where the Devils (9-10-5) played to their smarts rather than trying use their tired and road-weary legs.

But after they had won eight of their previous 10 contests, getting them back into the playoff picture after a dreadful start, the Devils' plan didn't quite work out. The Jets (11-11-4) managed to take advantage of the few opportunities they did get, ending a four-game losing streak (two in shootouts) and starting their six-game trip — which brings them through all three Metropolitan-area teams this week — off on the right foot.

The Devils pushed late in the third, and even got a goal from veteran Patrik Elias midway through the period, a great deflection from the high slot that beat Ondrej Pavelec over his glove. Although that got the game to 2-1, and 41-year-old Martin Brodeur made some key stops down the stretch, it just wasn't quite enough. Devin Setoguchi ended the scoring with an empty-netter in the final minute.

Just about seven minutes into the second period, young Winnipeg sniper Evander Kane got a great look from right in front of the goal, but was denied by Brodeur. Making his second start in a row and his 10th start in the past 14 games, Brodeur was sharp for most of the night, but didn't see the initial shot from Kane, and was lucky to keep it out.

Of course, as hockey has a way of finding karmic equality, it was on the ensuing faceoff that Kane corralled the draw won backward by Olli Jokinen and took a freewheeling snap shot. That one Brodeur didn't see either, yet it beat him on the near side to give the Jets a controlling 2-0 lead.

Although later in the period Elias would ring the crossbar on a shorthanded 2-on-1 chance, and then 41-year-old Jaromir Jagr would be denied from in close by his Czech compatriot, Pavelec, and that same 2-0 score is how the scoreboard read after first 40 minutes.

The Devils didn't have much to offer in a rather listless first period, the best chances of their seven shots coming from Jagr, continuing to amaze every night as the team's best forward. But Pavelec was sharp in the early going, and allowed 20-year-old Mark Scheifele to give the Jets a 1-0 lead with just under four minutes remaining in the period.

On the scoring play, the Jets had a developing 3-on-2, with Jagr as the Devils' third man returning on a backcheck. As Michael Frolik streaked up the left side, Jagr went to the middle and double-teamed Matt Halischuk, leaving Scheifele wide open at the far post.

Jagr has been great, and so have the Devils, but not on this night, when they were still California Dreamin'.

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Mets came up short on Peralta

The Mets quickly considered themselves priced out of the Jhonny Peralta sweepstakes, and now that he's a Cardinal, the shortstop market is even more sparse — and potentially expensive.

St. Louis general manager John Mozeliak admitted as much in a press conference Monday, after Peralta's four-year deal worth a reported $53 million became official.

"The shortstop market … was one that was not deep in free agents," Mozeliak said. "There were really two being bantered about us. For us, it was really focusing on someone who could hit from the right side, somebody that was a steady defensive player, someone that had experience and could fit right in."

The other major shortstop on the market is Stephen Drew, who is represented by Scott Boras and will cost a draft pick after turning down a qualifying offer from Boston.

And as Mozeliak pointed out, trading for a shortstop will almost certainly be costly, too.

"We certainly explored the trade market at many levels, trying to see what we could do there," Mozeliak said, "But the acquisition costs seemed very preventative for us to move forward with that."

So that leaves the Mets wondering if they will have to go back to Ruben Tejada after all but writing him off earlier in the offseason.

They hadn't completely given up on the 24-year-old, having sent Tejada to Michigan with Lucas Duda to improve his conditioning, but management did point to shortstop as a position they hoped to improve upon.

The Mets had hoped Peralta would settle for a two-year deal. The Cardinals had the same goal, but eventually upped their offer.

"Two [years] would have made a lot more sense, but that wasn't possible," Mozeliak said. "You have to sometimes adjust to what's going on. Fortunately for us, one of the resources we did have was payroll flexibility, and we decided to deploy it that way."

And Peralta's price tag hints other possible Mets targets may not come cheap, despite PED ties. Like Peralta, outfielder Nelson Cruz served a 50-game suspension because of Biogenesis.

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Former Met and Mets hitting coach Howard Johnson was named hitting coach of the Mariners on Monday. He will be working with new manager Lloyd McClendon. Johnson was the hitting coach for Seattle's Triple-A affiliate in Tacoma last season and last worked in the majors with the Mets. … Chris Young, who agreed to a one-year contract with the Mets last week, is not expected to take his physical this week, so the official announcement of the deal will be delayed.

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‘Ray Donovan’ producer says he ran illegal sports book

An executive producer for the Showtime hit "Ray Donovan" copped a plea to running a Los Angeles sports book as a Manhattan federal judge on Monday sentenced him to two years probation.

The slap-on-the-wrist sentence by Judge Jesse Furman — which includes six months of home confinement and a $20,000 fine — came after lawyers for Hollywood honcho Bryan Zuriff begged the judge for leniency, saying any prison time could require Zuriff to leave the cable TV series, which stars Liev Schreiber.

A star-studded list of supporters sent letters to the judge on behalf of Zuriff, including director Judd Apatow and "Ray Donovan" co-star Jon Voight.

Zuriff's sports book had been linked by the feds to an international gambling ring with ties to the Russian mob that has attracted A-list celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Alex Rodriguez.

Zuriff's lawyer, Isabelle Kirschner, told Furman that Zuriff's reputation has been "ruined," and he's "already paid a tremendous price." She blamed his crime on a gambling addiction for which he's currently getting counseling.

"I don't think prison will serve any useful purpose in this case," said Furman. "He was hardly a mastermind in any of the crimes he was involved in."

Zuriff previously forfeited $500,000 to the government as part of his plea agreement, which contained a recommended prison sentence of six to 12 months.

The feds in May indicted a total of 34 people for being part of the scheme, including reputed Russian mobsters and notorious Hollywood "poker madam" Molly Bloom. Among those who have copped pleas are playboy Manhattan art dealer aHillel "Helly" Nahmad.

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Giants blitz: Big Blue backfield big, but Romo’s the big winner

HERO: Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo completed 23-of-38 for 250 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Romo, who gets a lot of criticism for making big mistakes late in games, led the Cowboys on a 14-play, 64-yard drive after the Giants tied it at 21-21 to set up the winning field goal.

UNSUNG HEROES: Giants running backs Andre Brown and Brandon Jacobs combined for 202 rushing yards — 127 yards on 21 carries for Brown and 75 on nine carries for Jacobs. Brown scored on the successful two-point conversion to tie the game at 21-21 in the fourth quarter.

ZERO: Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride's play calling was suspect — both in the red zone, where the Giants failed to score TDs twice in the first half, and on some second-half sequences. Gilbride, on the first offensive possession of the third quarter, had Eli Manning pass twice when he should have had either Brown or Jacobs run the ball in a four-down territory situation on third-and-6 from the Dallas 35.

KEY STAT: 11 Penalties committed by both teams — the Giants for 81 yards and the Cowboys for 85 yards.

QUOTE OF THE NIGHT: "They have a great coach [Tom Coughlin]; I have no earthly idea why he let them talk like that this week. They talked and they talked and they talked. I've never heard a team that was 4-6 talk like that.'' — Cowboys cornerback Orlando Scandrick

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Swiss vote against cap on executive salaries

No doubt, equality maven Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio is wondering how the Swiss missed.

In a resounding victory for corporate control of executive pay, Swiss voters rejected on Sunday a proposal to limit executives' pay to 12 times that of junior employees, a measure that would have gone further than any other developed nation's.

While de Blasio has stopped short of advocating such a position, his campaign vowed to address the wage gap in the Big Apple, saying, "We cannot resign ourselves to the mind-set that says rising inequality is a necessary byproduct of urban success."

The Swiss measure was opposed by 65 percent of voters. Polls, including one by consulting firm gfs.bern, had signaled that outcome as probable. Voter turnout was 53 percent, the highest in three years.

"It's a signal that it's not up to the state to have a say in pay," Valentin Vogt, of the Swiss Employers' Association, said in an interview on Swiss national television SRF.

Swiss voters approved the so-called fat-cat initiative that gave company shareholders a binding vote on managers' pay and blocked golden handshakes and severance packages in March.

While polls after that vote suggested the 1:12 initiative could pass, support waned, in part because of opposition by company executives, such as Roche Holding CEO Severin Schwan and ABB chief Ulrich Spiesshofer, who said it would damage the economy.

With Post wires

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Jets squander another solid effort by Wilkerson & Co.

BALTIMORE — There is an axiom that football is the ultimate team game, that you can't win just on one side of the ball. With every performance by their defensive line the Jets squander, the axiom is proven true.

Gang Green's defensive line, led by burgeoning star Muhammad Wilkerson, was stellar yet again Sunday. But the team's offense proved bad enough to overcome the defensive line's excellence once again in a 19-3 loss at Baltimore.

Wilkerson had two sacks, three quarterback hits and a tackle for a loss Sunday. But even that wasn't enough.

"We lost. We didn't play Jets' football," said Wilkerson, whose 10 sacks are already the most by a Jet since John Abraham had 10 ½ back in 2005. "We've got to stop the run, and don't let the ball get over our head. That's the game plan. We're a talented group, and we can't let that happen."

But he insisted the offense's woes behind struggling rookie quarterback Geno Smith haven't heaped even more pressure on the defense.

"I never feel pressure,'' said Wilkerson. "I'm always prepared. You always have to be prepared for everything.''

To be fair, the Jets' defensive line sure looked prepared. Even with Pro Bowler Ray Rice in the backfield, they held the Ravens to 2.2 yards per carry, even better than the paltry 2.9 they've limited foes to all year.

And of the defense's four sacks, Wilkerson and rookie defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson combined for 2 ½, along with four tackles for losses and four more quarterback hits.

"We did all right; gave up a few big plays, not too many. But we've got to do better on the big plays, we've got to get turnovers, regardless. We've got to help the offense out as much as we can,'' said Richardson. "We've got to turn it around, got to turn this ship around. That's it.''

The Jets held the Ravens to a modest 362 yards, and Baltimore coach John Harbaugh tried trickery to move the ball against Gang Green, including mobile backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor taking direct snaps and even catching passes.

"The Jets played their hearts out. Excellent defensive front, especially,'' said Harbaugh. "Excellent defense. They put a lot of pressure on you.''

Now, with the way Smith has regressed, the pressure is on the Jets. They have fallen to 5-6 after losing back-to-back games for the first time all season, and by the looks of it any win they get may have to come on the backs of the defensive line.

"We've got to try and win every game,'' said Wilkerson. "That's our mind-set at every game: We've got to try and win.''

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Hill finds playing time hard to come by

BALTIMORE — Stephen Hill remained in the starting lineup, but his role in the game plan shrunk dramatically.

Hill was on the sideline for a large chunk of Sunday's 19-3 loss to the Ravens after starting the game. He mostly played on third down, then got more time when the Jets had to go to a pass-only offense after falling behind. Hill, the second-year receiver, had no catches for the third straight game. He bristled when asked about his playing time.

"Man, ain't nobody worried about no snaps," he said. "Golly. Ain't got to worry about snaps; just go out and play, that's it. I don't know why y'all ask me about stuff like that. It don't make sense."
Hill was targeted just once in the game and that was on the Jets' final drive.

"It really doesn't matter," Hill said. "It don't matter at all. I just want to win."

Jets coach Rex Ryan said this week Hill's performance this season had been disappointing and the team would look at cutting his role back.

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The Jets sustained a couple of injuries that bear watching. CB Antonio Cromartie left the game in the fourth quarter with a hip injury. His hip has been bothering him all season, and it flared up again Sunday.

"It's that same nagging injury, so for me the biggest thing is just to see what's going on with it, keep trying to rehab and go from there," he said.

RB Chris Ivory said he sprained his left ankle on his first carry in the game early in the first quarter, but played through the pain. He had an X-ray after the game and said the trainers want to evaluate him again Monday. He said the injury could be a high ankle sprain, but that seems unlikely considering he was able to play through it.

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The Jets had a bizarre fumble in the second quarter when C Nick Mangold's shotgun snap to QB Geno Smith hit WR Greg Salas in the leg as he went in motion. The ball was recovered by Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs.

"Obviously, you're not supposed to throw it into the receiver," Mangold said. "That's kind of a given. Unfortunately it was just bad timing. We had a motion on there. It's just one of those things that rarely comes up. It's a shame when it does."

Smith said there was miscommunication on the snap count. The fumble was credited to Smith even though he never touched the ball.

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In the "shades of Sal Alosi' department, the Jets bench was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct after someone on the Jets bench impeded the official on the sideline trying to track a punt return. It was unclear if the person was a coach, but he got in the official's way. It looked as if he was yelling about a block on the punt return and got too close to the field.

"It was not intentional, and you get caught up in the moment," Jets coach Rex Ryan said. "We saw one of our players get hit. Those things happen. It's unfortunate."

Alosi, the Jets strength coach at the time, tripped a Dolphins player on a punt in 2010. He lost his job a few months later.

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The Jets used the Wildcat effectively early in the game. Josh Cribbs even threw two passes out of the formation, one a completion to Smith for 13 yards. It was the first time a QB caught a pass for the Jets since Dec. 8, 1991, when Ken O'Brien caught a 27-yard pass from WR Al Toon at Detroit. … P Ryan Quigley hit a career-long 67-yard punt in the second quarter.

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Giants report card: Week 12 vs. Cowboys

OFFENSE

That the Giants ran for a season-high 202 yards split between Andre Brown (career-high 127 yards) and Brandon Jacobs (75 on only nine carries) and didn't win is ridiculous. Eli Manning (16-of-30, 174 yards) hit TD passes to Brandon Myers and Louis Murphy, Jr. but never got clicking. Quiet game and huge gaffe by Victor Cruz (2-27) on takeaway that gave Dallas its first TD. Lousy in red zone.

GRADE: C+

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DEFENSE

Only 17 points allowed, but you call that a defensive stand? Tied at 21, Tony Romo marched 64 yards to set up the winning field goal. Antrel Rolle, moved to nickel back because Trumaine McBride got hurt, was exploited repeatedly on the final drive. Run-stopping not great on DeMarco Murray (14-86). Dez Bryant (9-102) was a headache and Jason Witten has four TDs in two games against the Giants. Four sacks weren't enough.

GRADE: B-

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SPECIAL TEAMS

Steve Weatherford this time expertly navigated the wind with punts of 68 and 67 yards. Josh Brown hit field goals of 21 and 23 yards. Coverage was fine, return game ordinary again.

GRADE: B+

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COACHING

Tom Coughlin's teams aren't supposed to commit 11 penalties and lose composure in big spots, but that's what the Giants did. On the final drive, Perry Fewell didn't go after Romo, who had all day to slice the defense apart. Kevin Gilbride should have run the ball more than he did, as the Giants had 30 runs and 30 passes but were better running it.

GRADE: C

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Egg ‘agents’ recruiting hot young actresses for IVF donations

The hottest role these days for a young actress? Egg donor.

Egg "agents" are aggressively recruiting city models and actresses, whose looks are coveted by couples turning to in-vitro fertilization.

Robyn Young, who has appeared in shows such as "Boardwalk Empire," at first rejected the ads on casting sites such as Backstage.com. But the money proved too much to resist — she made between $8,000 and $10,000 for her first donation, in 2009.

"I didn't want to be a stripper. I wanted to figure out my career, so there was really no other choice at the time," Young said.

After that donation, her name was entered into a database. Now egg agents call constantly.

"I waited a year and a half for the second one. I kept saying no, no, no and finally said OK," she recalled.

"I'm a hot commodity because I'm athletic and have green eyes."

Now 28, she's in the process of donating her eggs for a third time.

In an industry where attractiveness is a prerequisite and steady income is hard to come by, actresses often are an egg agent's perfect target.

"I haven't even started with the hormones for this one, and [the agent] is already trying to get me to sign the contract for the fourth," Young said.

The process begins with an agency setting up video interviews with different couples until one picks her.

Young says she was nervous during her first interview.

"I want them to know who I really am. I'm not trying to put on a mask, because it's ultimately going to be their kid," she said.

Agents do a full background check that includes academic marks, blood test for diseases, as well as a psych exam. Young says that despite her good high-school GPA, she could have made up to $20,000 with a better SAT score.

"Some of these couples are very rich businessmen," she said. "They want to make sure it's someone with a good head on their shoulders."

Each time Young donates, she's put on hormones for two to nine weeks to increase her egg production.

The harvesting is painful.

"You're put under for about 20-30 minutes, and afterwards you feel sore, bloated and just want to rest," she said.

Young can donate up to six times, but she says she is reluctant to do so.

"They tell you all the things that can go wrong but not the long-term effects because they don't know them," she said. "They say there are none, but you lose eggs, and it increases your risks of getting cysts. And you can only take so much."

Young has seen more actresses donating eggs and says younger women seek her out for information as they consider giving themselves.

She attributes the trend to a shift in priorities among those in her industry.

"There's less of a drive toward marriage and giving birth and now a drive toward career and ambition," she said.

As for the "family" she may produce from her eggs, Young may never know the results. She knows some of her eggs have been frozen for future use, but she has signed a waiver agreeing that she is not promised any information on the outcome.

Those close to her have been reluctant to give support, but Young says she never hid what she was doing.

"Everyone said don't tell anyone, and I said, 'If I'm going to give a gift, I'm not going to be ashamed,' " she recalled. "Knowing you're giving life is what gets me through it."

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‘I was in shock…they were all laughing’ — Knockout game victim speaks out

Photography intern Israel Blizovsky had just finished taking pictures at a Crown Heights engagement party when a hulking teen he was passing on the sidewalk cold-cocked him without warning.

"He was very strong. I was in shock," said the 19-year-old from Beersheva, Israel. "I saw a large group of black teenagers coming. I moved to the side to let them pass. Then, all of a sudden, when I was passing right next to them, I felt a punch in the face.

"They just kept walking. They were all laughing," he told The Post through a Hebrew translator. "They said something right after he punched me, but I don't understand English. It looked like they were making fun of me."

Blizovsky, whose tooth was chipped by the blow, is one of at least six Jewish people who have been attacked as part of a "knockout game" in the three weeks leading to the start of Hanukkah Wednesday, Brooklyn leaders said.

The brutal game — sometimes called "polar bear hunting" — has been on the rise across the country, with bystanders, usually white, suckerpunched for sport by black youths.

In Brooklyn, religious Jews appear to be the targets.

Fueled by Internet videos of the beatings, "knockout" attacks have also been reported in Chicago, Hoboken and Lansing, Mich.

In Jersey City, a 46-year-old man died in September after a sucker punch sent his head into an iron fence.

Blizovsky, who stands 5-foot-2 and weighs less than 100 pounds, was working for the COLlive community-news Web site and carrying a Nikon D600 camera when he was assaulted on Crown Street Nov. 14 at 9:30 p.m.

The gang, he said, ignored his expensive equipment.

"They didn't look deprived," Blizovsky said. "They didn't look poor. They just looked like they wanted entertainment."

Asked why he thinks he was targeted, he said: "[Jews] look gentle. We look like we won't fight back."

Local rabbis, witnesses and victims say there have been at least eight unprovoked attacks on Jews in Crown Heights, Midwood and Borough Park since Oct. 11, with six after Nov. 6.

Early Friday, an Orthodox Jew was jumped by four thugs after he heard them yapping about "knockout."

"One of them stepped out towards me and, with a closed fist, hits me in the face," said Shmuel Perl, 24.

"As I was able to walk away from them, they called after me, 'Come back. I can do this. I will knock you out.' "

One man was arrested on charges of assault and aggravated harassment as bias crimes in the attack.

On Nov. 9, a 78-year-old Midwood woman was socked in the back of the head while pushing her great-granddaughter's stroller on Avenue L and East Fifth Street. Fearing a repeat, she hasn't left her home since.

"It's scary," her son-in-law said. "You're 78, and someone hits you with a closed fist with all their might."

The NYPD said it was aware of seven of the eight attacks.

"Our Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating these incidents," a spokesman said. "There have been increased patrols in the 71st Precinct" in Crown Heights.

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said Friday, "We are trying to determine if [the knockout game] is a real phenomenon . . . We have to be concerned about when you highlight an incident or a type of criminality, some people will simply try to copy."

An NYPD source said he expects the department to "downplay the incidents."

"Look, we're at the end of the road," he said. "All [Kelly] has to do is run out the clock the next five weeks. The last thing anyone wants is a major racial eruption in the last five weeks of the administration."

Barry Sugar, head of the Jewish Leadership Council, says he has been asking Mayor Bloomberg and Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio for help with anti-Jewish attacks since August to no avail.

"We were concerned that the candidates weren't aware of what was happening," he told The Post. "We made several attempts to reach out to Mr. de Blasio, but our overtures were not met with any kind of response."

As for Blizovsky, who returns to Israel Monday, he vowed to be "more prepared" for his next visit to the Big Apple.

"I'll bring a Taser."

Additional reporting by Gary Buiso and Brad Hamilton

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Agreement reached to curb Iran’s nuclear program

Iran and six world powers reached a breakthrough agreement early on Sunday to curb Tehran's atomic ambitions in exchange for limited sanctions relief, in a first step towards resolving a dangerous decade-old standoff.

The deal between the Islamic state and the United States, France, Germany, Britain, China and Russia was nailed down after more than four days of negotiations.

"We have reached an agreement," Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif announced on his Twitter feed. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius also confirmed the deal.

No details of the agreement were immediately available.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and foreign ministers of the five other world powers joined the talks with Iran early on Saturday as the two sides appeared to be edging closer to a long-sought preliminary agreement.

The talks were aimed at finding a package of confidence-building steps to ease decades of tensions and banish the specter of a Middle East war over Tehran's nuclear aspirations.

The Western powers' goal had been to cap Iran's nuclear energy program, which has a history of evading U.N. inspections and investigations, to remove any risk of Tehran covertly refining uranium to a level suitable for bombs.

Tehran denies it would ever "weaponise" enrichment.

The draft deal that had been under discussion in Geneva would see Iran suspend its higher-grade uranium enrichment in exchange for the release of billions of dollars in Iranian funds frozen in foreign bank accounts, and renewed trade in precious metals, petrochemicals and aircraft parts.

Refined uranium can be used to fuel nuclear power plants – Iran's stated goal – but also provide the fissile core of an atomic bomb if refined much further.

Diplomacy was stepped up after the landslide election of Hassan Rouhani, a relative moderate, as Iranian president in June, replacing bellicose nationalist Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Rouhani aims to mend fences with big powers and get sanctions lifted. He obtained crucial public backing from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, keeping powerful hardline critics at bay.

The OPEC producer rejects suspicions it is trying covertly to develop the means to produce nuclear weapons, saying it is stockpiling nuclear material for future atomic power plants.

Israel says the deal being offered would give Iran more time to master nuclear technology and amass potential bomb fuel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told local media in Moscow that Iran was essentially given an "unbelievable Christmas present – the capacity to maintain this (nuclear) breakout capability for practically no concessions at all".

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Daily blotter

Brooklyn

Two drunks clocked an off-duty cop in the face on his way home from grocery shopping in Carroll Gardens, police sources said.

The 56-year-old victim was walking near Smith and West Ninth streets around midnight Saturday, when Stuart Rawitz, 30, allegedly kicked a bag of groceries out of his hand and sucker-punched the cop in the face.

But when the off-duty officer identified himself as a cop, the pair suddenly turned into pussycats.

Rawitz and pal Brian Hansbury, 33, waited for police to slap the cuffs on them, police sources said.

Hansbury was found to be in possession of a glass pipe, which was being sent to a lab to identify suspicious residue found on it, the sources said.

He has been charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance and Rawitz faces assault charges, cops said.

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A driver fatally struck a 47-year-old man in Flatlands and then fled the scene, cops said.

The victim, Vernon Sylvester Bramble, was crossing the intersection near Flatbush Avenue and East 34th Street at around 10:30 p.m. on Friday when he was struck by a black car traveling south, cops said.

The driver left the scene, leaving a bloodied Bramble unconscious and unresponsive with massive head trauma, cops said.

The victim was pronounced dead at Beth Israel hospital and no arrests have been made at this time, according to police.

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Queens

Police arrested a cabby who allegedly stabbed another hack in the face at JFK Airport during an argument, PA cops said.

The men began squabbling at around 4:45 p.m. Friday at the Terminal 8 parking lot after Guang Zheng, 50, accused the victim of customer-poaching, PA cops said.

Zheng brandished a knife and proceeded to stab the victim above the left eye, causing a cut on his face, authorities said.

According to cops, the man was transported to Jamaica Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Zheng fled in a bronze Acura before cops could arrive, but he was later apprehended, authorities said.

Zheng was charged with assault and criminal possession of weapon, PA cops said.

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An off-duty NYPD traffic agent threw a hissy fit — and a potted plant at her hubby's new car — ­after a verbal dispute at their Cambria Heights home, cops said.

Corinne Harrigan, 34, was arguing with her 41- year-old beau at their Springfield Boulevard home at about 3 a.m. Saturday, but the altercation quickly escalated when she picked up a potted plant and flung it at his 2013 Nissan Sentra, police said.

She has been charged with criminal mischief and harassment.

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The Bronx

Someone fatally gunned down a 24-year-old man in front of his Throggs Neck home, cops said.

Jamel Taylor was shot on Schley Avenue near East 177th Street Friday at 8:50 p.m. Friday in front of the Throggs Neck houses, according to police.

The gunman fired a bullet into Taylor's buttocks. The slug punctured his internal organs and exited through his navel, police said.

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Reeling Knicks drop fifth straight

WASHINGTON — The Knicks kept pace with the Nets in disgracing the Mecca of Basketball, losing again Saturday night, this time to the mediocre Wizards, 98-89.

A large coterie of blue-and-orange clad fans left the Verizon Center in disillusionment after the Knicks' fifth straight loss and failure to build upon Wednesday's Indiana overtime heartbreaker. They are now 3-9 after a dirty dozen.

The Knicks' offense sputtered in the second half, when they notched just 37 points. They had little scoring balance, while four Wizards starters had nice scoring evenings — led by John Wall's 31, Martell Webster scored 19, Bradley Beal added 18 points and center Marcin Gortat pumped in 16 points with 17 rebounds.

The final indignity came with 30 seconds left, when Iman Shumpert drove for a layup and Wall slid over for a resounding block. Meanwhile, the Knicks' defense suffered too many second-half breakdowns.

Carmelo Anthony had a big, 13-point first half, but wound up with a quiet 23 on 9-of-19 shooting. A tentative Andrea Bargnani had a soft 11 points — 5-of-14 without getting to the free-throw line.

The Knicks head out West for three games in Portland, Los Angeles (Clippers) and Denver, and they're starting to get used to the losing.

Despite a strong first half, which saw the Knicks up 52-49 at the break, the club derailed in the third quarter, getting outscored by 10 in the period.

The Knicks battled early on in the fourth, getting within three before Webster nailed two straight 3-pointers. Then Beal bounced a pass to Jan Vesely on a fastbreak, with an asleep Bargnani out of position, which led to an easy dunk and an 89-80 lead with 6:13 left. Down the stretch, J.R. Smith (15 points) missed four straight free throws, which hurt chances of a comeback.

Wall made his presence known early, making his first seven shots of the half while hurting the Knicks with his speed. But the Knicks still led most of the way, by as many as nine points; they just couldn't sustain it.

The Knicks got a giant boost in the first half from Stoudemire, who scored 10 loud points in 10 minutes. He petered out in the second half on both ends and finished with 12 points in a season-high 21 minutes.

Stoudemire had lobbied for a longer stretch than the five-minute bursts coach Mike Woodson was allowed play him, saying he needed it to establish better rhythm. And the five-time All-Star surely took advantage early. Before the game, Woodson said he would look to get Stoudemire to 20 minutes of time — he finished with 22 minutes played.

The $100 million man was 5-for-5 for 12 points, scoring four buckets in the post, mostly against Nene. He threw down a hammering dunk on a fastbreak, showing his old explosiveness to go along with some nifty post moves. He also drained a step-back 12-footer after his initial post move was defended well.

The troubled Knicks had tried to work out issues before the game, as Woodson and Anthony had a sitdown at Friday's practice with the coach trying to gauge his mood.

"Melo's not going anywhere,'' Woodson said. "He's had his ups and down just like all of us have. Lately he's been playing extremely well."

Saturday night, it wasn't well enough.

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Porn fans take the holidays off, says XXX site

Happy holidays — just not that happy.

Porn use plummets on Thanksgiving and Christmas, and likewise drops during major sporting and news events, according to a revealing new study by PornHub, which bills itself as the world's biggest adult content site.

Last Thanksgiving, traffic on the XXX site went down 29 percent in the US, and 22 percent on average worldwide, the Web site reported Friday.

But on Black Friday, traffic rose again by 7 percent, proving that Americans had literally roused themselves from their food-induced lethargies, rushing not only to the malls, but to their computer terminals and, er, handhelds.

Traffic also flags during major news events, the site reported.

Nothing like a sumptuous royal wedding with all the trappings to put folks out of the mood.

When Kate and Wills tied the knot, UK porn viewing dropped 15 percent, then spiked back for the rest of the day. The Pippa factor perhaps?

And on the day Osama bin Laden was killed, there were 7 percent fewer visits from US users, who apparently chose more public means of celebrating.

"The stats show that people pull themselves away from their favorite Web site just long enough to watch things like the Olympics, the World Series, presidential elections, etc.," PornHub noted in announcing its findings.

Unsurprisingly, religious holidays appear to have a reliable libido-limiting effect.

Nice, not naughty, ruled the day on Christmas Eve, with porn clicking rates dropping worldwide by 22 percent.

Israeli porn viewing sagged 40 percent on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.

Americans were apparently too busy with analog fireworks to seek out digital ones last Independence Day, when porn viewing fell 27 percent.

And New Year's Eve was porn-lite around the globe — with a 34 percent drop in the Web site's use in the US, and even higher drops elsewhere in the world.

Then there was Earth Day, when porn use showed a carbon-neutral change of 0 percent.

Sports are a sure-fire way to turn off computers and libidos.

As the Giants and Patriots sparred in the 2012 Super Bowl, US porn viewing dropped 22 percent. New York's traffic dropped 31 percent; Boston's by 41 percent.

On the day the Mayan calendar purportedly predicted the end of the world last year, a 10 percent spike in US use "showed that Americans wanted to stay in the comfort of their own homes, on a solo mission to have sex with someone they loved," the site said.

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