The New York Knicks‘ seven-game win streak came to an end on Thursday against the Charlotte Hornets. They were no match for the high-octane offense from the red-hot team led by rookie forward Kon Knueppel. Knueppel almost had a triple-double of 26 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. The Knicks couldn’t slow him down, resulting in a 114-103 loss for the team.
The Knicks’ starting five all scored in double figures. However, Jalen Brunson was the only player who scored at least 20 points. The star guard had 26 points and 13 assists on a not-so-efficient 0-for-6 from deep.
His co-star, Karl-Anthony Towns, only had 13 points against the Hornets. He could not secure the boards and finished with only three rebounds.
Mike Brown Addressed His Decision on Jose Alvarado
New York Knicks guard Jose Alvarado (5) © Brad Penner-Imagn Images
(© Brad Penner-Imagn Images)
In the first half, the Knicks tried to look for a spark offensively from their bench unit. Head coach Mike Brown turned to Jose Alvarado, who only played five minutes. Unfortunately for Alvarado, he couldn’t find his shot and went 0-for-2 on the floor.
Brown opted not to play the backup guard and tried to look for the spark from second-year guard Tyler Kolek. However, Kolen also struggled and only had one rebound in more than five minutes of action.
After the contest, the head coach explained his reasoning behind the decision to shut down Alvarado.
“I just wanted to throw him out there, see if he could give us a spark,” Brown said.
Since the Knicks acquired Alvarado via trade at the deadline, he has provided a significant spark off the bench. However, there are games where he has struggled to bring life to the team.
During New York’s seven-game win streak, the Puerto Rican star averaged 4.9 points and 4.9 assists in 15.4 minutes. His numbers have slightly gone down since he became part of the Knicks. However, it’s mostly because of the reduced minutes under Brown.
Under James Borrego with the New Orleans Pelicans this season, the point guard has averaged 21.9 minutes in 41 games played. During that stretch, Alvarado has averaged 7.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists.
With coach Brown, the Knicks have an abundance of backcourt players. Aside from Brunson, Alvarado and Kolek, the team also has Jordan Clarkson, Miles McBride and Landry Shamet. Depending on the situation and how the team performs against specific teams, some players might not see any action.
Related: Tyler Kolek Receives Praise From Knicks Coach After Strong Games
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Mar 27, 2026, where it first appeared in the NBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.