NEW YORK — Instead of saving the Knicks, Jeremy Lin got to save his energy.

Lin played only 26 minutes Wednesday night, 10 fewer than in any game since joining the rotation. With the Knicks blowing out the Sacramento Kings, he checked out for good in the third quarter, grabbing a spot on the bench next to Carmelo Anthony and sharing a laugh with the injured All-Star.

“We were just having fun and kind of talking about how we’re both excited for when he comes back,” Lin said.

Hey `Melo, no need to rush. Lin and the Knicks just keep on winning.

Lin put aside his record-setting scoring to hand out a career-best 13 assists, and New York got back to .500 with its seventh straight victory, 100-85 on Wednesday night.

Lin added 10 points, focusing more on his role as a distributor while others torched the Kings for 51 percent shooting. Landry Fields had 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Bill Walker and Steve Novak each chipped in 14 points as the Knicks put seven players in double figures for the first time since April 5, 2009, at Toronto.

“As a point guard, my field goal attempts have been really high and I don’t think that’s necessarily good,” Lin said. “I think it’s more of my job to distribute and get people in rhythm.”

Lin scored 136 points in his first five starts, most by any NBA player since the NBA merged with the ABA in 1976. His 3-pointer with 0.5 seconds left Tuesday allowed the Knicks to pull out a 90-87 victory in a game they trailed nearly the whole way.

The Knicks (15-15) led this one almost throughout, evening their record for the first time since they were 6-6 after a loss to Oklahoma City on Jan. 14. They host hapless New Orleans on Friday, hoping Anthony will return from a strained right groin.