Wednesday night, we saw one of the biggest talent mismatches you’ll ever see in an NBA basketball game.

And the team with all the talent had no chance.

At Madison Square Garden Wednesday night, the Knicks arguably had the seven most talented players in the building in their game against the Sacramento Kings. But they still lost, 107–97, and this result was far, far worse than the final score indicated. First, because the team trailed by 24 points late in the third quarter before some cosmetic scoring closed the deficit, but mostly because of the staggering talent disparity between the two sides.

No offense to the Kings, but the Knicks should have won this game by 40 points, and if they weren’t so preoccupied with mailing in the season, they would have. You disagree? Check the facts:

Consider that before the season, the Knicks were widely thought to be playoff contenders in the East, while the Kings were thought of as lottery fodder out West.

Consider further that the Knicks came into Wednesday night’s game essentially at full strength, with Stephon Marbury finally back from his bizarre month-long bereavement leave, and Jamal Crawford back from a finger injury. The only player who remains sidelined is Jerome James (and that’s probably a good thing).

Then consider the plight of Sacramento. The Kings’ best player, Queens native and former St. John’s star Ron Artest, was out of the lineup after having surgery on his elbow a day earlier. Its second-best player, rising star shooting guard Kevin Martin, was also out after suffering a groin pull earlier in the season. Sacramento’s third-best player, point guard Mike Bibby, also missed the game — as he has every game this season —while his injured thumb heals.

That about does it for the star power on Sacramento: This team ain’t exactly stacked. But just to make sure the odds were completely rigged in New York’s favor, a fourth starter, forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim, also missed the game — he’s out for the season after having knee surgery.

These injuries left Sacramento with a starting five of Beno Udrih, John Salmons, Francisco Garcia, Brad Miller, and Mikki Moore. Those aren’t exactly household names except Miller, a two-time All-Star who is now a very old-looking (and playing) 31. Miller, mind you, was the only Kings starter who has ever averaged double figures in the NBA. Udrih was cut by Minnesota in October, Salmons and Garcia were bit players forced in to major roles by the injuries, and Moore has had one good season in his decade-long journeyman career.

The contrast with the Knicks couldn’t be starker. Of the 11 Knicks who played more than three minutes, all were first-round picks and five were lottery picks. All except David Lee were drafted earlier than everybody on Sacramento, save rookie Spencer Hawes (who didn’t enter the game until his team was up by 24 points). It’s not a huge stretch to say virtually every Knick was more talented than anyone on the Kings — not to mention better compensated.

By any standard, Sacramento had absolutely no business being on the court with the Knicks in any game. That they could thump the Knicks on the road after spending much of New Year’s Day cooped up in an airplane is unthinkable.

And yet, it happened. Instead, it was the Knicks who looked like the team trying to get by with marginal role players and CBA types. The Kings got whatever shot they wanted, whenever they wanted, from their set offense. Often they scored sooner, getting a shocking number of 3-on-2 and 2-on-1 breaks, while the Knicks jogged back on defense.

The final stats told a startling story. Salmons scored 32 points for Sacramento — the most he’s ever scored in six largely undistinguished pro seasons. And against the Knicks’ allegedly superior frontcourt of Zach Randolph and Eddy Curry, Miller had 26 points and 16 rebounds. This marked the first time he’s scored 26 points since April 9, 2005, and only the second time in the past three seasons that he’s had as many as 16 rebounds.

Miller also provided the signature moment of the game, when the 7-footer faked a shot from the 3-point line in the left corner, drove past Curry, and took two long, slow dribbles to the basket to lay the ball in while the other four Knicks stood and watched. This wasn’t like Allen Iverson zooming to the rim and beating the help to the spot: Miller is one of the slowest players in the league. The move took so long that if he’d needed another dribble there might have been a shot-clock violation. But nobody in a New York uniform was even close when he eventually reached his destination.

There were countless other embarrassments to go along with the show. There was a fan base so demoralized it could barely muster the strength to chant “Fire Isiah.” There was a rare attempt at defense by Randolph late in the third quarter, which led to him fouling Hawes on a jumper and getting ejected when he threw his headband in frustration.

And of course, there were more delusions of grandeur from team president and coach Isiah Thomas. Even he must have trouble believing the words that escape his mouth these days.

“I believe that one day we will win a championship here,” Thomas said before the game. “And I believe a couple of these guys will be a part of that. And I believe I’ll be a part of that.”

Sure ya do, Zeke. Right after you walk on the moon. It’s easier to believe in the Tooth Fairy or the Easter Bunny than to believe Thomas will be a part of a championship in New York — unless he takes over another franchise and starts making trades with the Knicks.

Instead, here’s what I believe. I believe I’ve never seen a team quit so completely and totally, from players one through 12, as this one has. I believe the 2007–08 Knicks are one of the most underachieving teams in the history of basketball. I believe that the talent disparity on Wednesday night was so overwhelming that the loss to Sacramento marks a new low in Isiah’s destruction of the once-proud Knicks franchise.

And lastly, I believe that the Knicks will keep coming up with “new lows” that are even further down, until the day when Thomas is finally relieved of a job at which he is so abundantly incompetent.

jhollinger@nysun.com