Kendrick Perkins points to one of the decisions Tom Thibodeau made in the New York Knicks’ 114-109 defeat to the Indiana Pacers in Game 2.
A must-see game for the New York Knicks has been short in the fourth quarter, down 0-2 in a meeting semi with the Indiana Pacers.
Pascal Siakam led the way to the Pacers with a 39-point performance, shooting the ball at an efficient 65.2% off the field.
After the game, Siakam praised his team’s collective efforts to win the game.
Jalen Brunson scored 36 points in the night, but he missed the potential game, the 3-pointer.
Karl-Anthony Towns added 20 points to the team, but he didn’t see any effort on the defensive side.
He was Team-Worst -20 from a +/- point of view and could not contain Pacers’ attacks.
Cat’s poor performance on the defensive side led Tom Thibodeau to bench him in the fourth quarter.
The Knicks came within the Pacers’ three points with the remaining minute, so it proved to help, but Perkins thinks this decision can prove that Thibodeau’s work is expensive.
He tweeted: “If the Pacers win this series, the decision to bench town on the fourth day will fire him. He wanted to get a defensive halt, but it didn’t work.”
Thibodeau is a veteran coach and has also had championship experience since his days with the Boston Celtics.
But Thibodeau has been in the spotlight before his decision with players.
At a post-game press conference, Thibodeau explained what led to the decision to bench the star player’s bench.
“We went into the hole and the group that was there gave us a chance, so we’re just looking for a way to get on it and win,” Thibs said when asked about the decision to bench Kat in the fourth quarter.
Cat is an important part of the Knicks game plan against the Pacers.
His filming ability is certainly important, but the team also needs five All-Stars to be his best defensive.
Pacer has a deep team and plays fast-paced basketball, so every Knicks player must stay engaged at all times.
Cat was taken to the Knicks as part of a massive deal and he has been great for the team ever since, making his first year an All-NBA third-team selection.
He had a big moment in the playoffs this year, but the quality of his defense has always been a problem.
Entering Game 3, the 29-year-old hopes he will turn things around and help the Knicks pull things back in the series.
