Sunday evening, the Knicks and the Pistons were in timeout when the Giants made their final defensive stand against the Cowboys, so Madison Square Garden put the football game on the big screens. Fans got into the moment by chanting “defense!” for the Giants as the snap approached, and the Knicks fans cheered loudly as R.W. McQuarters’s interception insured Big Blue’s win and a spot in the NFC Championship game.

Commentator Mike Breen said that those were the loudest cheers in weeks in the Garden. Well, yes — the Garden doesn’t announce policy changes over the public announcement system. A policy change that would have brought a long, loud ovation from the Garden faithful occurred this weekend, as Renaldo Balkman returned to the rotation.

Balkman is probably the second-most popular Knicks player (behind David Lee) for one simple reason: He hustles his butt off every minute that he’s on the floor. With the Knicks floundering through one lethargic performance after another, Balkman’s benching was becoming one of the team’s most enduring mysteries. Last season, Balkman played 1,065 minutes; before Friday’s game against Toronto, he was on pace for a meager 697.

Admittedly, Balkman was hurt and missed most of the preseason. But his portfolio suggests that he is just the kind of player that the Knicks desperately need on the floor as much as possible.

Balkman plays defense as if his NBA career depends on it — and it does. He has almost no outside shot. During a late November game against Milwaukee, Balkman got the ball 18 feet away from the basket guarded by Bucks rookie Yi Jianlian. Yi backed off of him into the passing lanes, and Yi mouthed the words “go ahead,” daring Balkman to take a shot from beyond his range. Balkman wisely passed on taking the open shot and rotated the ball back around the perimeter. That’s one of his strengths: On a team where too many players act as if they are on a mission from God to shoot 20 times a game, Balkman is successful without needing the ball in his hands. He’s an excellent on-ball defender, he plays the passing lane well, and he can block a shot or two. He has one of the highest shooting percentages on the team precisely because he knows his weaknesses and rarely attempts a shot that isn’t a lay-up.

Balkman’s reduced minutes are also a mystery because he has improved from last season. Although he can’t shoot from outside and his free throw percentage is an abysmal 35.7%, he has improved on two key elements: His turnovers are down and his assists are up. On a team full of inefficient shooters and ball hogs, these should stand out in bold as attributes. But I guess no one in the Knicks organization knows how to read a stat sheet.

But then again, it isn’t just statistics that argue for Balkman’s inclusion into the rotation. For most of the season, the Knicks have started veteran Quentin Richardson at small forward. Unfortunately, Richardson is having a season that would have moved him to the end of the bench on most teams. He’s shooting 30.9% from the field and 27.7% from behind the arc. His struggles from the field have even affected his free throw shooting, which is a putrid 60%. Despite these struggles, Richardson has played 932 minutes this season. When not using Richardson at the small forward, the Knicks have often gone to a three-guard rotation, despite the fact that it leaves them at a size disadvantage defensively.

So, better late than never! The insertion of Balkman into the rotation on Friday should be a permanent move. Isiah Thomas speaks of wanting to establish a work ethic as a foundation, and Balkman is a great poster boy for that endeavor.

Sunday night’s 89–65 blowout win against Detroit was such a fluke that even the fans failed to muster loud cheers for much of anything aside from the football. It was obviously an isolated incident against a tired team. But Friday night’s 99–90 loss to the Raptors offers some telling insight into Balkman’s impact. Using the game flow recaps at the Web site popcornmachine.net, Balkman played 24 minutes and filled up the stat sheet. But most importantly, the Knicks were plus-10 with him on the floor. With Richardson in a scant five minutes, they were minus-11.

Balkman’s return to the rotation is especially crucial for the Knicks as they look ahead to two games against a surprising Washington Wizards team, one that has weathered the loss of Gilbert Arenas to injury thanks to the stellar play of forward Caron Butler. And the Knicks also face the Nets, who feature high-scoring forward Richard Jefferson. New York can’t count on road weariness as an ally in any of those three games, so using their best weak side forward as often as possible is essential. In fact, if Thomas is serious about establishing a work ethic, then Balkman should start. In nearly a season and a half, he’s proven that he’s an effective player whose skills complement the Knicks’ overabundance of ball hogs. It would be a big step toward salvaging this season to put him on the floor as often as possible.

mjohnson@nysun.com