Knicks' Coach Isiah Thomas made tentative play the latest excuse for the constant losing.

After practice this afternoon, he noted the Knicks missed an unusual number of layups and passed on several open shots during an embarrassing loss to the Sacramento Kings.

"I think the tentativeness leads to the missed shots, which leads to the reluctance to take a shot," Thomas said. "It's almost like we're playing afraid. Last night we were playing not to lose. We're not playing to win games. We're playing not to make a mistake."

He refused to acknowledge that recent lineup changes and quick hooks might have created this atmosphere.