Every NBA coach brings a distinct style to the bench, and so does the New York Knicks’ Tom Thibodeau, who is known for riding his starters hard, often leaving them on the floor with limited rest.
That approach faltered a little in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals when he benched Karl-Anthony Towns at a crucial juncture, sparking calls for him to be fired after the season.
However, Thibodeau had a clear strategy behind benching Towns in favor of Mitchell Robinson, and while it didn’t earn them a victory, he didn’t appear to regret the decision either.
Tom Thibodeau Explains His Stand Behind Benching Karl-Anthony Towns
Thibodeau’s strategy of riding out his starters hard has been under criticism due to the Knicks’ starters appearing to fade away (They are minus-81 when on the court together this postseason). They got off to another rough start on Friday and quickly fell behind 19-11 with Towns going scoreless in the first quarter.
While Mitchell Robinson and Miles McBride entered and completely changed the tenor of the game, Thibodeau chose his starters for the third quarter of the game, and went from leading by three at halftime to down by three.
Towns managed to score 20 points through the final three quarters but had several tough trips down the floor on defense. When the Knicks were trailing by nine points with nine minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Thibodeau appeared to have had enough and decided to sub him out for Robinson.
While Robinson didn’t have much impact, Thibodeau defended his decision in the post-game conference and argued they had a better chance of winning with the men on the court.
“Just we got in a hole, and the group that was in there gave us a chance. We were just riding that, and I was searching for a win,” he said.
Thibs on sitting KAT most of the 4th:
"We got in a hole and the group that was in there gave us a chance" pic.twitter.com/NRWtRBVZN7
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24)
Robinson only managed six points, and the deficit remained the same while he was on the court, leaving many questioning the effectiveness of the decision. However, the Knicks were outscored by 20 points during Towns’ 28 minutes on the floor, and Thibodeau may have felt that getting more stops and having a better offensive rebounder in Robinson in the game were the best ways to get back in the game.
MORE: 2025 NBA Mock Draft Following Shocking Lottery Results
Either way, Towns will need to get better at scoring if the Knicks have to win this series.
“It’s tough to lose any way,” Towns replied when asked about sitting for much of the fourth quarter. “So we’ve just got to regroup together for the next one.
“We’re just playing ourselves into a deficit, and I told you how we can’t keep doing that. Not every time are we going to be able to fight back and find ourselves with a win. Just gotta execute and be more disciplined.”
The Knicks are 2-0 behind in the series and face an uphill battle to make the NBA Finals. They will now take on the Pacers in Game 3 on Sunday, May 25.
