On May 18, Beijing time, the Knicks lost to the Pacers 103-116 in the NBA Eastern Conference semifinals, and the series will enter a tie-break. In this game, Hart held on until the fourth quarter with an abdominal injury in the first quarter. The latest news suggests that the Hart G7 is likely to be absent. Including Miro and Anunoby, the team has already lost its third general. And the main player Brunson remained on the court after trailing 20+ in the final quarter. This once again raised questions about the employment of Thibodeau.
In this game, Hart suffered an abdominal injury in a rebounding battle with Siakam in the first quarter of the game. Hart appeared in great pain and was subsequently substituted. But soon, Hart was re-fielded by Thibodeau. As you can see from the footage from the scene, Hart even put on a warm baby to relieve the pain. But by the fourth quarter, Hart finally couldn't stand the pain anymore and returned to the locker room. At full game, Hart played 30 minutes without playing in the final quarter.
And in this game, Brunson also played 37 minutes. In the middle of the final quarter, the Pacers had a long lead of 20+, but in such a situation, Thibodeau still kept Brunson on the court until the final 3 minutes before replacing him. In fact, Brunson has a lot of injuries, but Thibodeau still uses him very hard. At the moment, the Knicks have lost big players Mitchell Robinson and Anunoby, and if Hart is not available in Game 7, it will be a devastating blow to them.
Thibodeau's employment has always been questioned by the outside world. Especially when he was in the Bulls, the scene of MVP Rose's scrapping was vivid. More than a decade later, Thibodeau has never learned any lessons. Even after beating the Pacers in Game 7, they were already covered in bruises, and it was almost impossible to beat the mighty Celtics. It will also cause a psychological shadow for those players who have not been able to get their chances for a long time.