Knicks fire coach despite stunning playoff upset over Celtics
The Knicks just pulled off their best playoff run in 25 years but it was not enough to save the job of their head coach. Shams Charania of ESPN.com reports that the Knicks are firing Tom Thibodeau after five seasons with the Knicks.
New York bowed out to the Indiana Pacers in six games in the East Finals after a historic Game 1 collapse at home. They entered the series as slight favorites but could not overcome the Game 1 collapse on their way to a 4-2 series defeat.
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Thibodeau had his best season at the helm in New York in 2024-25, going 51-31 after the team made several blockbuster offseason moves including acquiring Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges. However, the team had an up-and-down season overall before finishing as the No. 3 seed in the East.
The Knicks won a hard fought first round series against the Pistons and then pulled off a massive upset against the Celtics after pulling off double-digit comebacks in three games during the 4-2 series win.
Thibodeau finishes his tenure in New York with a 226-174 record. His dismissal adds a huge layer of intrigue to the NBA offseason. Teams around the East including the Knicks will be fearing up for a chance to take down the Pacers next season with the Celtics expected to be extremely shorthanded following Jayson Tatum's Achilles injury. It appears the Knicks felt like their best chance to move forward would be without Thibodeau.
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