Bloomberg says he ‘pushed’ Spurs' Jackson during Knicks game

Just call him the Knicks' sixth man.

Mayor Bloomberg put a full-court press on Spurs forward Stephen Jackson before the player left a Knicks game Thursday with a sprained ankle.

The Knicks ended up winning easily, 100-83.

Fans reported Jackson tripped on a waitress, who was crouched on the sidelines with her back to the Madison Square Garden court while serving a drink to the mayor.

"He didn't fall on her," Bloomberg revealed yesterday during a press conference in The Bronx dealing with schools. "He came close and I just pushed him a little bit."

The mayor acknowledged it would be "great for New York" if the Knicks and the Nets made it into the playoffs, but he insisted that fouling Jackson was an instinctive, defensive move and not part of a secret strategy.

AP

C'MON, MAN:Stephen Jackson signals for trainers after being "pushed" by Mayor Bloomberg during a Knicks' win over the Spurs last week.

"I wasn't helping [the Knicks]" the mayor said.

Jackson tripped and rolled his ankle after taking a 3-point shot in the first quarter.

Jackson missed the rest of the game and San Antonio's 109-86 win over the Sixers on Saturday. He played 18 minutes last night and scored six points in his team's 95-88 loss to the Hornets.

Whether Jackson actually tripped over the waitress or not, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich wants NBA teams to overhaul their courtside concessions policies.

"It's something that is a concern for all of us, obviously," he said.

"It seems logical that while the play is going on you try to order a little less beer and when the plays stops, order whatever you want," Popovich said. "While the play is going on, it would be nice to have all the lanes free."

Popovich called the freak play a "mayoral mishap" but does think it will spark change in the league.

This was not Jackson's first encounter with a fan. He will always be remembered for the Nov. 19, 2004, Malice at the Palace brawl when he stormed the stands with Pacers teammate and St. John's alum Ron Artest (now Metta World Peace) and fought with fans during a game against the Pistons.

— Additional reporting by Kathy Finn in New Orleans

dseifman@nypost.com

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