Knicks suffer their worst loss of the season to lowly Hornets

Mark Williams had 19 points and 14 rebounds as the Hornets, who'd lost three-quarters of their games before Thursday night, outscored the Knicks in every quarter of a 115-98 win. LaMelo Ball scored 25 points and had eight assists as the Hornets, who give up 113.7 points per game, held the Knicks to 98. 

Coming one night after the Knicks lost to the San Antonio Spurs, who don't have Victor Wembanyama or De'Aaron Fox, this was another bad loss. Perhaps the Knicks are exhausted. Thursday was a back-to-back after a flight from San Antonio. But the real issue that coach Tom Thibodeau trusts this bench so little that he played four starters 36 minutes or more against the woeful Hornets.

They get a reprieve on the upcoming schedule when the Washington Wizards and Dallas Mavericks visit NYC with a two-day break in between. Maybe it will give the team a chance to figure out how to score without Brunson. Maybe then they can get a little more rest.