Tom Thibodeau hits Knicks with eye-opening take after frustrating loss to Pacers

11/11/2024 12:53 AM

The New York Knicks have fallen to 4-5 after taking a loss to the Indiana Pacers, 132-121, as Tyrese Haliburton and Bennedict Mathurin combined for 73 points, as Mathurin scored a career-high 38. Moreover, the Pacers clawed back from a ten-point deficit and outscored New York 40-27 in the final period, hitting 8-13 threes. After the game, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau commented on their loss to the Pacers, describing what they need to fix during an up-and-down season.

“We gave up way too much,” Thibodeau said, via New York Basketball on X, formerly Twitter. “If you don’t challenge shots, they’re gonna make… Didn’t cover the line. We gotta fix it, and we gotta fix it fast.”

Then, he stressed the need for defense again. After all, Thibodeau was the defensive mastermind who helped the Boston Celtics win the NBA championship in 2008.

“We have to be strong on both sides of the ball,” he added. “If we’re just gonna rely on offense, we’re not gonna be a good team.”

Thibs:

"We gave up way too much. If you don't challenge shots, they're gonna make…Didn't cover the line. We gotta fix it, and we gotta fix it fast"

"We have to be strong on both sides of the ball. If we're just gonna rely on offense, we're not gonna be a good team" pic.twitter.com/ZxipGsFGgX

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) November 11, 2024

Knicks lose to Pacers, go 4-5

Meanwhile, new trade acquisition Karl-Anthony Towns expressed disappointment at the way the Knicks lost to the Pacers, echoing Tom Thibodeau’s comments.

“Last year was a year where I had tremendous amount of experience garnered going into the Western Conference Finals,” Towns said, via Stefan Bondy for the New York Post.

Towns also mentioned the effect of early season losses on possible playoff seedings.

“I know when we were in Game 80, 81, 82 against the Suns, we looked back at those Game 1, Game 4, you looked back at the ones you give away that put you in a better position whether it’s No. 1 seed, No. 2 seed, No. 3 seed, or gives us a chance to choose our destiny,” Towns continued.

Offensively, the Knicks field one of the best starting lineups in the league, though against the Pacers, their other trade acquisition Miles Bridges had a stinker, finishing with eight points in a whopping 42 minutes.

The other starters Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson played 43 and 41 minutes, respectively, but overextending their starters this early, with a relatively thin bench, will surely affect the Knicks once they start making a playoff push.

Still, a heavily shortened rotation–whether in a meaningless game in December or Game 7–is a Tom Thibodeau special, and it showed its effects against the Pacers.

The Pacers simply outgunned them in the final period, and the Knicks didn’t have enough legs to make another run or play solid defense. What’s worse was that the Pacers were also missing three of their top players.

Andrew Nembhard is out with a sore left knee, while Aaron Nesmith won’t play until December with a sprained left ankle. Additionally, Obi Toppin is out with a sprained ankle, as well.

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