Hall of Fame coach Chuck Daly, who won two championships in Detroit with Isiah Thomas as his point guard, said he believes the Knicks have quit on their coach, and its time he should leave the bench.

"Maybe its time for him to move up stairs," Daly told The Post. Thomas is in a dual role as coach/ president.

"I don't understand what's going on with their mentality," Daly added from his home in Jupiter, Fla. before the Knicks tried for one night in a 108-90 victory over the Cavaliers at the Garden. "A lot of places, they don't like the coach, but they go out and compete. It's one thing to get beat by 6, 8, 10 points. But to get beat by 25 means you're kind of quitting. I'd be upset if I was Isiah, too."

Thomas said Tuesday that if he can't right the mess in a couple of weeks, it would be fair to ask whether he deserves to fired. He said yesterday he would not recommend to owner James Dolan that he be replaced as coach if he can't reach the team in the next few weeks.