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Knicks rookie Porzingis to be part of Rising Stars Challenge

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Kristaps Porzingis has great abilities on the court and an engaging personality.Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images

Kristaps Porzingis has great abilities on the court and an engaging personality.

Kristaps Porzingis is sacrificing time with the ladies, but at least the hard work is paying off.

The 7-3 forward followed up on his profiles in Sports Illustrated and GQ with a spot in the Rising Stars Challenge, the league announced Wednesday, making official the natural connection between the Latvian hype machine, his “Unicorn” abilities and All-Star weekend in Toronto.

The NBA is sticking to last year’s format for the game by pitting international rookies and sophomores against their American counterparts. So the Latvian is part of a roster featuring Andrew Wiggins (Canada) and Emmanuel Mudiay (Congo).

The American squad is headlined by Karl-Anthony Towns and Jahlil Okafor.

In Porzingis, the NBA has a perfect storm with “Unicorn” abilities in the biggest market and an engaging personality, who has already soared up to fourth in jersey sales behind LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kobe Bryant. The 20-year-old’s genuine innocence was highlighted in his Q&A with GQ, when he was asked whether he’s too busy for a love life.

“No! I mean you always gotta find a little bit of time for the girls, right? But there’s nothing serious really. Nothing too serious,” he said. “I haven’t been that social yet, and I have been mostly focusing on basketball, but when I have a little more time I might to have to meet some new people.”

Porzingis, who lives with his parents and brothers in White Plains (although he also maintains a bachelor pad in Manhattan), listed three films in his steady rotation: “Friday,” “Dinner for Schmucks” and “John Wick.”

“Those are my go-to movies,” he said.

Regarding basketball, Porzingis is the two-time defending Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month while averaging 14 points, 7.8 rebounds and two blocks. He and Towns are the frontrunners for Rookie of the Year, an award a Knick hasn’t won since Mark Jackson in 1988.

He also has a commitment to getting bigger, stronger and better as defenses force him out of the paint. It’s understandably tough to juggle these commitments with a social life.

“Of course the defenders are trying to be physical with me. They look at me, 7-3, skinny, they try to be physical,” he said. “But I just have to keep working on my body and be able to hold that contact.”

NOTES: Carmelo Anthony traveled with the Knicks to Toronto for Thursday’s game against the Raptors, but he was officially listed as “questionable” with a sore left knee.

Anthony missed Tuesday’s loss to the Thunder because of the pain, which the Knicks have insisted is unrelated to last year’s surgery to the same knee. The Knicks (22-25) are 0-5 this season without Anthony, mostly because they’ve failed to generate offense in crunch-time without their best scorer.

“Typically down the stretch the ball doesn’t move as much, the game slows down,” coach Derek Fisher said. “Referees allow guys to get physical on both ends that’s why it’s good to have guys who can just make plays themselves. It doesn’t always come off great execution at the end. You need great players to make great plays.”

Toronto (30-15) may also be missing its All-Star starter, Kyle Lowry, who injured his hand and is questionable for Thursday, according to the Raptors.

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