Knicks coach Tibodo Bench Town: “We're looking for victory” – Basketball Insider

New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau put star Karl-Anthony Towns on a superb backup in the fourth quarter of Game 2.

Town has nine minutes left to exit the game, but only 2:25 left. Currently on the bench, Town is the minus 24 in the game. Alternate center Mitchell Robinson had a big impact on the game, with 6 points in 29 minutes.

The Indiana Pacers continued to beat the Knicks 114-109 to lead 2-0. Town scored 20 points and 7 rebounds.

“Just, we got into a hole and the group there gave us a chance,” Thibodore said. “So we were just riding (that lineup). We were looking for victory.”

Towns was named the third team in the NBA ahead of Game 2 on Friday. Earlier this season, he was named All-Star for the fifth time. He averaged 24.4 points and 12.8 rebounds per game, while shooting 42% from three points.

When asked about the bench, the town is clear and focused on the team.

“Anyway, it's hard to lose,” he said. “So we just have to reorganize the next one.”

The Knicks are now in deep trouble after losing two games at Madison Square Garden.

Game 3 is Sunday at 8:00 pm ET.

Tibodo is forced to choose between offense/defense

While the town is certainly active in the offense of the ball, he has been hunted defensively.

He had to defend where he was too high or too low and had the benefit of the walkers. To its credit, this is a team that is very good at identifying these opportunities and punishing them in a cold-blooded way.

Josh Hart was asked what Nicks needed from town: “We need him to be aggressive offensively. We need him to be locked and communicate defensively.” “That's what we need. He needs to communicate at a high level.”

Defensively, the biggest difference in this series is that the Knicks have one player to hunt in Tyrese Haliburton, while New York has two players. Indiana is also happy to target Jalen Brunson.

Hunting Haliburton was difficult because he was always surrounded by more than four defendants.

Still, at the end of the day, the Knicks did a lot in Game 1 and then collapsed and had a chance to equalize the game later in the second game.

It seems like New York doesn't look like the depth of the Minnesota Timberwolves vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Winning Game 3, momentum changed. You can't win two games until you win one game.