Isiah Thomas' frustration with Steve Francis' game keeps rising as does Francis' frustration with Thomas' handling of his minutes.

After playing 20 minutes in Friday's lackluster 90-68 loss in Cleveland when the Knicks scored a season-low in points, Francis, unsolicited, raised the issue of his playing time. Francis was benched the final quarter-and-a-half.

"Not playing, not being on the court, it's tough," Francis said. "That's the hardest thing for me. I'm only doing what I can do. My stuff is not always about scoring. I don't have to be scoring to be effective."

Francis scored 16 points in back-to-back defeats to the Trail Blazers and Cavaliers. The flaky Francis added, "You play 20 minutes, be happy with 20 minutes, get home and be happy with my family." Last week, Francis called himself the team scapegoat, saying, "When things aren't going well, who else would be the donkey that they pin the tail on than myself. It's been like that since I've been here."

Francis' struggles and controversial remarks only increase the chances of the Knicks buying him out this summer, the New York Post writes.