Head Coach Tom Thibodeau Credits New York Knicks’ ‘Outstanding Defense’ For Game 2 Win Over Boston Celtics

New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau credited the team’s defense, particularly in the fourth quarter, as they recorded their second straight win over the Boston Celtics. The No. 3 Knicks escaped a narrow 91-90 win over the reigning champions in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference Semifinals series, and solidified their dominance in the series with a 2-0 lead. 

Boston had maintained the lead in the match for most of the time. However, the course of the game changed in the final seconds when Mikal Bridges pulled off a crucial turnover from Jayson Tatum to steal the win. Reflecting upon it, Thibodeau credited the team’s defense and said, “There was good team defense. Tatum is so tough when he gets speed and he’s going downhill, so you need bodies in front of him.” 

The 67-year-old added, “The pursuit from behind is also important, but I thought in the 4th quarter, our defense was outstanding. That’s what we need to do for the entire game.”

Thibodeau also addressed the fact that the Knicks won the games on the road, and opined that the concept of ‘home court advantage’ is changing. Notably, earlier it happened for the first time in the history of the league that all away teams won their respective Game 1 in Conference Semifinals. Speaking about stealing home court advantage from the defending NBA champions, Thibodeau said, “It seems like it’s changing.”

He added, “Just the way the game goes now, you can make up ground a lot quicker with the way teams shoot threes. For the writers who are around us, they always think every lead is safe, but it’s not, so everything does matter.” 

Also Read: Boston Celtics Set Unwanted NBA Record Amid Woeful Conference Semifinals Run vs. New York Knicks

“They Made the Necessary Plays To Win”- Celtics Coach Joe Mazzulla As Knicks End 20-Point Deficit To Steal Game 2 Win

On Wednesday night, the Knicks pulled off a staggering comeback in the fourth quarter after trailing the Celtics 73-53 in the third. It was for the second straight game in which the Knicks ended a 20-point deficit and made a comeback to secure the win and earn a 2-0 lead. The second loss in a row came as a setback for the Celtics, who entered the series as heavy favorites. 

Following the defeat, their head coach Joe Mazzulla spoke about it, and said that the Knicks made necessary plays to clinch the victory. Addressing the media in the post-match conference, he said, “They made every play. Throughout the end of that third and fourth quarter, I thought we generated some good looks. Then I thought we had some live ball turnovers and they took advantage of it. So, they made the necessary plays to win.” 

Mazzulla also spoke about the Celtics’ campaign on the road this season. Notably, the 18-time champions finished with a terrific 33-8 record, and Wednesday-night’s loss was the only third occasion when they suffered two defeats in a row. 

As the series now shifts to New York for Game 3 and Game 4, Mazzulla talked about the remainder of the series. He said, “I mean, just take solace in the fact that we got a chance, we have a challenge ahead of us and we got a chance to go after it together and we got to do it.” He added, “So, we don’t really have a choice and uh, just got to figure it out.” 

Both teams will lock horns in Game 3 on Saturday, May 10 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Also Read: Why Joe Mazzulla Didn’t Call Final Timeout During Celtics-Knicks Game 2? Boston Head Coach Explains!