OKLAHOMA CITY – For parts of a big Friday night in Knicks Land, Tom Thibodeau’s team more than kept up with the red-hot Thunder.

The top defense was torn apart, especially in the second quarter.

But when it mattered most – as the clock reached winning time in the fourth quarter – the Thunder and their MVP candidate showed superior play and the Knicks couldn’t keep up in a 117-107 loss.

Two Jalen Brunson turnovers proved crucial in the final three-plus minutes as Shai-Gilgeous Alexander took over and capped his 33-point, seven-assist performance.

After coming on as a substitute, Aaron Wiggins from Oklahoma City won 19:5 against the New York reserves.

The Knicks are thin and it showed on Friday.

The loss ended a nine-game winning streak for the Knicks (24-11), who were seeking their first double-digit streak since 2013.

The Thunder (29-5), a juggernaut in the West, won for the 14th straight year.

And in the end, the Knicks did well, but ultimately failed in their big test.

Over the last month, they have breezed through the pie portion of their program, enjoying the bottom of the order while winning nine straight and 19 of their previous 23.

It was the first time since 2000 that teams with a concurrent nine-game winning streak faced each other.

The last time was Scottie Pippen’s Blazers vs. Shaquille O’Neal’s Lakers.

So the night had the feel of a big game and certainly represented an important benchmark for a Knicks team that is still trying to earn respect as a legitimate contender.

The Thunder had already gained more national respect.

“They are the No. 1 defense and have played really well all year,” Towns said. “Aside from defense, they played really good basketball. And we played great basketball. So it’s a good time for both of us to meet and test our skills.”

The test looked good.

After a close first quarter, the Knicks developed their dominant offensive profile in the second quarter.

Using their standard balanced attack, they outscored OKC 36-21 in the second quarter, crushing the NBA’s best defense.

The Knicks led 66:54 at halftime.

---

---

The Thunder employed a strategy that was effective against the Knicks this season.

They used a smaller but strong player – in this case Jalen Williams – to defend Karl-Anthony Towns and limit his perimeter play.

It was effective enough — Towns managed just 17 points in 42 minutes while grabbing 22 boards.

Brunson returned from a game with a calf injury, an absence that didn’t have much of an impact on the Knicks in their win over the inferior Jazz on Wednesday.

His presence was necessary against OKC, but not enough — especially after he threw away two passes in the fourth quarter.

Brunson finished the game with 22 points and nine assists in 40 minutes.

Friday also marked Isaiah Hartenstein’s first game against the Knicks since leaving the franchise for a larger contract in free agency.

Because both sides were thriving and Hartenstein’s decision was based on the logic of money and suitability, there was no bad blood, perceived or not.

“It’s good to see her again,” he said. “I don’t think we left on a bad note or anything. It’s nice to see the boys. They’re doing great so far. Nice to see her.”

Hartenstein scored just four points and 14 rebounds in 31 minutes.

There was a scary moment in the third quarter when OG Anunoby dunked to take an 11-point lead but lost his grip at the rim and took a hard hit on his surgically repaired elbow.

It looked worse than the encouraging reality. Anunoby retreated to the bench, obviously in pain, but returned after a timeout to shoot the free throws and finished the game with 20 points in 43 minutes.