Deciding whether to foul or not foul on a three-point lead in the final minute is often a challenge for NBA coaches, and Tim Thibodeau is no exception.
After denying Donte Divicenzo’s go-ahead 3-pointer and two free throws from OG Anunoby in the final minutes of Game 2, Thibodeau and the Knicks asked Sixers gunner Tyrese Tyrese before the game. They discussed a “miscommunication” over whether to call a foul on Maxey. -Trey tied the score with 8.1 seconds left in the fourth quarter of the Knicks’ overtime loss in Game 5 on Tuesday night.
Thibodeau acknowledged that the Knicks “could have” fouled in that situation, but at first added that he would “leave it alone,” before later saying that the players on the floor were running after Josh Hart’s various fouls. He explained that it is necessary to be aware of such scenarios. There was a chance to put the Knicks up by four points with 15.1 seconds left.
Hart missed 1 of 2 and Maxey hit a 34-foot shot to tie the game.
“All you have to do is they’re going past their timeouts, so they’re going fast. But you also have to read what’s going on,” Thibodeau said. “teeth [Hart] Does he make both? This makes him four. is he making? That puts you in a different situation. If he misses both, you’re in a different situation.
“So not only do we need to communicate that to the players, we need to make sure that that gets across to people.” [waiting to rebound] in [free-throw] Line too. So we need to improve our communication. If you miss two and foul, everyone has to be aware of what’s going on and be on guard. ”
Hart, who stressed that he had to “take it seriously” by missing the free throw, said the miscommunication of the foul was “a mistake on the part of the players on the court.” I have to,” he added. ”
Miles McBride was Maxey’s primary defender when he got the ball and was closest when he took the shot.
“Just the management at the end of the game, we should have all been on the same page and talked more and communicated more. He just made a great shot,” McBride said. “We should have talked about it during the free throws, but it was obviously a split-second decision.
“When he’s coming at full speed, I think he hits shots closer to half the court. There’s not much you can do about that. You don’t want to miss any chances that he might get into a shooting motion. Probably. I probably should have been a little more careful with him, but I’ll just learn from it.”
