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If you’re a Knicks fan, Monday was one of those nights that you’ll talk about years to come. One of those “where were you when” games. You’ll remember the Donte DiVincenzo three. The Isaiah Hartenstein offensive rebound. Jalen Brunson’s three bouncing off the rim and in. The controversial steal on Tyrese Maxey.
One of the wildest 27-second stretches in NBA playoff history.
Something that may be overlooked in the telling and re-telling of the final minute of Game 2? The influence of Tom Thibodeau.
The night started with Thibodeau brushing off another anonymous player poll that degraded his coaching.
“I couldn’t care less about that,” Thibodeau said of being named the coach players least want to play for in a recent poll by The Athletic.
At the end of the night, an hour or so after the Knicks’ historic comeback, player after player cited Thibodeau’s coaching as a crucial element in the win.
“It starts with Thibs,” Hartenstein said. “He always believes no game is ever safe. He kind of instilled it in us, so it starts with him. And the whole team just buys in.
“So we had a belief that we’ll come back and it worked out.”
“I don’t think our confidence ever wavered,” DiVincenzo said. “… It wasn’t like the game was over (with the Knicks down five and 0:47 to play). It never is. Especially playing for Thibs.”
Thibodeau’s approach gets mocked in some corners. It was one of the things cited in that anonymous player poll.
But no one was complaining about his coaching on Monday night.
Now, Thibodeau is two wins away from accomplishing something no Knicks coach has done since the turn of the century: make the second round in consecutive seasons.
Not bad for a coach whose job status has been a near constant source of speculation over the last three seasons.
He was a few losses away from getting fired last December.
Knicks owner James Dolan gave team president Leon Rose the green light to let Thibodeau go entering the 2022 All-Star break.
Thibodeau was back at the training facility on the day after the All-Star Game. Some of the items in his office were gone. It looked like he was moving things out. Was he clearing out his office for good? The sequence of events led to brief speculation internally that Thibodeau was getting/had gotten fired.
It turns out, he was just bringing a few things out of his office.
Now, roughly two years later, Thibodeau is getting credit from his players for one of the most improbable wins in team history.
And he’s almost certainty going to be coaching beyond his current contract (which expires next season). He’s survived — and thrived — in one of the toughest jobs in pro sports.
Somewhere late Monday night, one of those anonymous players from The Athletic poll was probably sitting on his couch, watching the game, wishing that he could be a part of that type of NBA moment. Maybe they’ll change their mind about Thibodeau.
LEON ROSE’S ROSTER DEPTH
The way things unfolded in the final minute in Game 2 was a microcosm of this Knicks season. Each player on the floor touched the ball and made an impactful play.
Brunson’s three. DiVincenzo’s big shot. Hartenstein’s offensive rebound and block. OG Anunoby finding DiVincenzo for that second three-point attempt. Josh Hart helping knock the ball loose before DiVincenzo’s game-winning three.
It was reminiscent of the play in Brooklyn earlier in the season when all five players were involved in a key sequence.
It also was another reminder of the strength of the roster. Anunoby was acquired in a major midseason trade. Same for Hart, though the move garnered much less attention.
Hartenstein and Brunson were both signed in the 2022 offseason.
The Knicks signed DiVincenzo last summer.
All of those transactions came with significant risk. But Leon Rose & Co. had a plan and were committed to seeing it through. That plan paid dividends on Monday night.
NEW YORK LOVES JALEN BRUNSON
Amid his shooting struggles on Monday, Brunson heard virtually no groans from the Garden crowd. No audible boos. That’s how you know this Knicks fan base is in love with Brunson. He has earned the benefit of the doubt from the home crowd. He’s almost single-handedly changed the course of the franchise.
But can you imagine the crowd reaction if Julius Randle missed 13 of his first 19 shot attempts? What about Carmelo Anthony, who was courtside for Game 2? Both guys would have been booed off the court.
Monday night was just more evidence that Brunson and the Knicks have developed a trust with this base. They’ve more than earned it.