The Knicks began life without two-time All-Star forward Julius Randle — for however long that will be — with another next-men-up victory Monday night in Charlotte, winning for the 13th time in 15 games since OG Anunoby first played for them following a late-December trade with the Raptors.
Notably, Anunoby didn’t play either against the Hornets due to a last-minute elbow issue, compounding the Knicks’ task in their first game without Randle this season after he suffered a dislocated shoulder Saturday against the Heat.
Tom Thibodeau undauntedly went with an eight-man rotation, with Josh Hart and Precious Achiuwa moving into the starting lineup in the 113-92 blowout win over the equally undermanned Hornets, who were without two injured regulars — LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward — after dealing a third (Terry Rozier) last week to the Heat.
The win moved the Knicks’ record this season to a remarkable 20-0 against teams that began play Monday with a losing record — and, significantly, 1-0 without Randle, who missed his first game of the season after going down in a hushed Garden moment late in Saturday’s home win over the Heat.
