The Knicks were so inept on defense, the Phoenix Suns were actually critical of themselves after posting their highest point total of the season.

“I didn’t think it was a very good performance at all,” Steve Nash said after Phoenix tied a team record with 16 3-pointers in a 133-118 victory last night.

“We were really careless defensively, we gave up too many points, and even offensively I thought we weren’t as good as we can be.”

Quentin Richardson made seven 3-pointers, Jim Jackson added five, and the Suns finished with the highest point total by a Knicks opponent since Portland scored 141 on Nov. 15, 1990, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Amare Stoudemire scored 29 points, Richardson had 25, Joe Johnson 24, and Shawn Marion 20 for Phoenix, which easily eclipsed its previous season high of 124 points.

The loss was the seventh in a row for the struggling Knicks, who obviously have not latched onto new coach Herb Williams’s emphasis on defense.

The Suns scored nine more points than the previous season high for a Knicks opponent, and the 16 3-pointers were the most allowed in team history.

Jamal Crawford led the Knicks with 40 points, Kurt Thomas added 24 points and 14 rebounds, and rookie Trevor Ariza, making his second straight start, had career highs of 21 points and 11 rebounds.

Stephon Marbury, who played his first game against the Suns since they dealt him to the Knicks last season, had 11 points, nine assists, six rebounds, and five fouls.

The Knicks are 1-11 since Marbury publicly declared himself the best point guard in the NBA, and the Knicks’ 17-24 record is exactly the same as it was at the midpoint of their season a year ago.

“Those guys play totally different basketball. They don’t play regular basketball. They just shoot 3’s for days,” Marbury said.

Nash, the point guard who has led the Suns to the best start in franchise history, had nine points, seven assists, and six rebounds. Phoenix, opening a six-game road trip, won its second in a row after a six-game losing streak.

Richardson shot 7-for-14 from behind the arc, while Jackson – in just his second game since being acquired from New Orleans – went 5-for-6 from 3-point range and 6-for-8 overall. Johnson added three 3-pointers.

The Knicks got off to a good start and led 33-28 after the first quarter ended with Thomas sinking his first 3-pointer of the season.

The Suns took control with a 14-2 run early in the second quarter, eventually stretching their lead to 107-88 on a 3-pointer by Richardson early in the fourth quarter.

The Knicks pulled to 120-112 with 3:15 left on Ariza’s follow dunk, but Marbury couldn’t handle a pass, Johnson scored on a drive and Richardson knocked in his final 3-pointer to end the Knicks’ last chance.