After two underwhelming clutch performances, the New York Knicks have stormed back to life in the Eastern Conference Finals. They came back from 20 points down in Game 3 to clinch a win in Indiana after dropping the first two at home.
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Funnily enough, after being criticized throughout the playoffs for his lack of rotations, it was Tom Thibodeau’s uncharacteristic decision to go deep into his bench that sparked the comeback. Deuce McBride, Landry Shamet, and Delon Wright all logged more than 10 minutes in Game 3, and it was these three who somehow sparked the Knicks’ miraculous comeback.
McBride finished the game with a +7 net rating, Shamet a +12, and Wright a +2, despite the trio combining for only 14 points. And star man Jalen Brunson reminded Thibs’ critics of the coach’s role. After the final buzzer, the guard, who had an uncharacteristically off night (scoring 23), spoke to TNT, and things heated up between him and Charles Barkley.
Chuck had gone on record before the game questioning Thibs’ tactics and personnel decisions. He criticized his inability to trust his bench throughout his coaching career.
While speaking to Brunson, Barkley made a snide remark again on how it was ironic that the Knicks’ bench kick-started their comeback against Indiana. Calling the whole thing “wacky”, the Hall of Famer asked Brunson if Thibs ever explained his decisions to the team.
“What the hell is up with Thibs, man? Y’all bench technically won this game for y’all tonight,” said Barkley. “Does he ever explain to y’all, cos you got to admit, it’s kind of damn wacky.”
While Chuck said this with an audible chuckle in his voice, Brunson wasn’t too pleased. He seemed ready to fire back with something scathing but stopped himself at the last minute and simply said, “Ooh, I had a great comeback, but let me stop.”
Chuck: “Your bench technically won this game for y’all tonight. You got to admit it’s kinda damn wacky”
Jalen: “Ooh, I had a great comeback, but I’m let me stop” pic.twitter.com/ikKhe9HZkg
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) May 26, 2025
Of course, the narrative of Thibs not using his bench and overplaying his starters is nothing new. Who can forget Derrick Rose’s infamous injury in 2012? Fans still claim that the injury would never have happened if Thibs had benched him when the Bulls had a lead.
That same narrative echoed throughout last playoffs as well, with the Knicks flaming out in the semifinals due to injuries caused by overworking the players.
While fans and analysts across the league criticize Thibs for his coaching philosophies, his players have stood by his side. Last year, Josh Hart defended his coach, calling the critics ‘idiots’ for not understanding how the team works.
“At the end of the day, [in the] seventh year of my career, I’ve probably had more off days than I’ve had in other days. We don’t go [into] contact in practice,” Hart had said.
“Everyone thinks we do three-hour practices of scrimmaging. It’s idiotic to put it on him. He’s not going to say anything about it. He’s going to take it on the chin and keep on moving,” added Hart.
With the Knicks’ miraculous comeback win on Saturday, will we see Thibodeau dip into his bench more in the coming games?
