The Knicks had a chance to create a more favorable first-round matchup for themselves by losing on Sunday, but coach Tom Thibodeau didn’t consider it, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Coming down the stretch of a tight game with Chicago, the team’s choices were clear: a loss would mean the three seed and opening the playoffs against the inexperienced Pacers, while a win would put the team in second place and set up a matchup with either the Sixers, who closed the season with eight straight wins, or the Heat, who went from the play-in tournament to the NBA Finals last season.
Thibodeau opted to play for the victory, and he didn’t understand why anyone would second-guess his strategy.
“Really? I mean the object is to win,” he said in response to a question at post-game meeting with reporters. “Put everything you have into winning. That’s the bottom line. … I think everything does matter. That’s just me personally. And so when we talk about, from the start of the season, we want to be our best at the end. And that’s something we strive for. Every day.”
New York, Milwaukee and Cleveland all entered Sunday afternoon with a chance to claim the No. 2 seed. Only the Knicks won, and they had to fight off a feisty Bulls team in overtime as Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart all logged more than 40 minutes. DiVincenzo endorsed his coach’s fearless attitude.
“We don’t care what they’re doing,” he said of the other Eastern teams. “We’re focused on our locker room. Whatever they decide to do, that’s their team, their organization’s decision. Our decision was to play. Everybody played and we won the game.”
There’s more from New York:
- Thibodeau wasn’t able to provide an explanation for why center Mitchell Robinson was ruled out for the second half on Sunday, Bondy states in a separate story. Robinson, who returned in late March after missing 50 games following ankle surgery, played just seven minutes, with Thibodeau saying, “They just told me he was unavailable.” Thibodeau speculated that the decision might have been “precautionary,” as Robinson played 25 minutes on Friday, his highest total since the operation.
- With Robinson unavailable and Isaiah Hartenstein reaching his minutes limit, the Knicks got valuable minutes from Precious Achiuwa, Bondy adds. The backup big man played nearly all of overtime and made a game-saving defensive stop on Chicago’s final possession. “[Achiuwa in OT] was huge, it was huge,” Thibodeau said. “(Nikola) Vucevic is a load to deal with. And when teams go small, what Precious gives you is the ability to switch. So I think that’s important for us as well.”
- Brunson reached 40 points for the 11th time this season, moving him into a tie for second with Patrick Ewing in the franchise record book, Bondy notes in another piece. Thibodeau said Brunson’s work ethic is similar to Ewing’s, telling reporters, “As soon as we signed Jalen, he was immediately in the gym. You could come in any day in the summer, and he’s in at the same time. Full speed, great concentration, there’s no fake-a-gram or Instagram or whatever they call it.”
Knicks are a 2 seed! Unbelievable. Heck of a season.
Jalen Brunson is a special player.
Gotta love Achiuwa. He’s definitely coming back to NY. Underrated pickup for the Knicks.
Kind of sad the Cavs essentially punted the last game of the season, but it was pretty necessary to give these guys a break. Most of our rotation is injured. And hey! Bickerstaff FINALLY played Isaiah Mobley for longer than a minute!
Cavs really have no chance at this point.
People, including you, said the same thing right before they went 18-2 earlier this year. Have fun being wrong again. :)
Tom Thibodeau is not thinking right. If you have control over who your opponent will be in the next round why would you not take advantage of it?
Sure you go for the win but you sit your starting five lol. If the bench can pull it out that makes your team stronger. If they lose they got great experience and you play the pacers.
How could you not steer towards that strategy? He is so focused on the 3 inches in front of his nose that he can’t see the complications of these decisions and how they apply to next week.
I think he was wrong, what are your thoughts?
It’s a big reason why Jimmy Butler has many games off, Zach LaVine has knee issues and why Rose’s career was never the same…
Thibs always goes for the short term wins… Never thinking about the long game…
I don’t agree, here’s why.
1) What message does it send your team to try to lose the last game of the season to get a better matchup? It’s like the coach is saying “you guys could possibly win against the seven seed, but I’m sure you can beat the six.”
2) To be the man, you have to beat the man to quote Ric Flair. If Philly or Miami is really that good, you’re going to have to knock one of them off at some point during the playoffs.
3) Injuries can happen at any time, so you’re better coming in at full strength against a better team than having someone go down during an easier series.
I know teams do try to set favourable matchups in the playoffs, but I just hate it.
You’re not wrong. I just believe that if you can set yourself up properly before the battle that’s a good thing to do.
You can’t go into battle or fight or a ball game with the attitude of “let the chips fall where they may.”
Many do it but if you can prep for a better scenario I say 100%, it’s the right thing to do.
As far as dissing The Players by saying you can’t beat a certain team but you can beat this one? I don’t think that’s the case. They’re all in it together.
Besides it’s not just the players. It’s the coach too!! Is the coach saying, I’m not good enough to out coach Eric Spoelstra? No he’s not, he’s preparing the team for the best case scenario to move on.
I disagree. Keep winning, keep momentum. Resting Brunson for a game is not going to change anything. Yes he could randomly get hurt, but the same thing could happen first 5 min of any game.
Imagine you get cute and lose for a matchup, then you lose the first game or two to that team. At that point it’s over. Thibs would get roasted.
Play to win or you end up a perennial loser like the 76ers where the only way to win something is to campaign and whine and beg the league for favors. Winning is the goal, so you win.
I gotta go with Greg here Gary sorry
I gotta whole Laker thread who wants to purposefully lose to the Pelicans right now and duck Den. I find it a bit sickening
* Damn you Devante Graham
Wrong. Regardless if they finished 2 or 3 seed, they end up with the same opponents in round 1 and 2. 2 seed gives for PHL or MIA round 1, then MIL or IND round 2. The 3 seed gives them IND round 1, and MIL, PHL, or MIA round 2. Either way they have to face these teams. It’s the right choice to go for home court advantage in rounds 1 and 2. If we can’t beat PHL or MIA, then we aren’t beating BOS either so none of it matters.
bklynny, great points.
This is not to be confused with tanking for a better draft pick. That’s total bs. Just draft better, make better choices wherever you pick whether it’s 4 or 12 or 18.
Many busts in the first 10 pics yet many All Stars in 11 through 20.
Tanking is horrible and that’s what I can’t stand. Go out there and win. Then draft well.
@Gary – I rarely disagree with you, but here I do strongly. IMO, Thibs did what any real basketball coach would do, and has to do. Coach (which means prepare and give the team the best chance to win). Strategic decisions like the one(s) you’re talking about (setting the team up to fail in the here and now for a greater purpose) aren’t coaching. Generally, when a coach stops coaching, and concerns himself with other agendas, players stop listening. I’ve never witnessed any sport at any level of the sport in which that isn’t the case.
As a fan, I’d prefer that the NYK were playing IND in the first round (or ORL or even CLE or MIL) vs either PHI or MIA, both of which have more league sanctioned star power than us. But I’d prefer to have the FO order the team off the floor and declare a forfeit, than have the coach let down the entire team down by abandoning the mission he asked them to buy into all year, one he likely doubled down on a few hours earlier.
You make excellent points. I’m just looking at every possible angle for the long-term win, which means the playoffs this year.
If the percentages say you are more likely to beat Indiana than Philly Miami, I say you set that up.
I think all the players would be on board with a simple team meeting. In the slight case they aren’t, then go for the win and play Philly. No problem.
I saw the end of that game & it seemed pretty clear that the Knicks were completely fine with losing that game. They were terrible down the stretch of that game & literally gave Chi numerous chances to win it. DDV turned the ball over 3x at the end of the 2nd OT trying to inbound the ball. They clearly couldn’t be too obv about it but they wanted that 3seed
That’s so completely not the case. I watched the game. They didn’t stop playing. They were playing hard, but teams make mistakes. If they wanted to lose the game, they would have. Players don’t intentionally try and lose a game. A team can substitute back ups in to lessen the chances of winning, but the Knicks had their starters in. You’re way off on this one.
Great season by the Knicks. The off season will be more important. I really hope Hartenstein, OG and Precious wants to stay in New York. Unload Randle priority number one.