Josh Hart, Ben Stiller react to Knicks firing coach Tom Thibodeau after Eastern Conference finals run: 'He brought this team back'
The New York Knicks parted ways with coach Tom Thibodeau on Tuesday, just days after the team was eliminated from what was its first Eastern Conference finals appearance in 25 years.
Almost immediately, star guard Josh Hart spoke out on social media about his now former head coach.
The split came just days after Knicks star Jalen Brunson defended Thibodeau after their loss to the Indiana Pacers in Game 6, which ended their postseason run.
Advertisement
"Is that a real question right now?" Brunson responded when asked if Thibodeau was the guy to take the Knicks to the next level.
"You just asked me if I believe he's the right guy? Yes."
Hart and Brunson weren't alone in their praise for Thibodeau, either. Actor and noted Knicks superfan Ben Stiller, who was frequently spotted sitting courtside throughout the team's most recent playoff run, thanked Thibodeau for making the Knicks 'relevant again' on social media, too.
Noted Knicks fan John McEnroe happened to be calling the Carlos Alcaraz-Tommy Paul match in the French Open when the news broke, and he reacted to the news live, saying "that's pretty harsh. That is a bummer."
Advertisement
Coincidentally, former NBA MVP Derrick Rose, who played for Thibodeau with the Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks, was at Roland Garros watching the match. He had joined the TNT broadcast earlier.
Plenty in the Knicks world and New York media universe weren't quite on board with the move to fire Thibodeau.
At least one person didn't waste any time vying for the now open job in Manhattan, too.
The Knicks won 51 games this season and reached the conference finals for the first time since 2000. Thibodeau got the Knicks to the playoffs in four of his five seasons at the helm, and he racked up back-to-back 50-win seasons for the first time since the early 1990s. Before Thibodeau was hired, the Knicks hadn't made the playoffs in seven seasons.
By all accounts, Thibodeau's time with the Knicks was a success. As has been the case at his previous stops in Chicago and Minnesota, it just wasn't successful enough.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Carlos Alcaraz to defend French Open title in final as Lorenzo Musetti retires
Carlos Alcaraz will defend his French Open title on Sunday after Lorenzo Musetti retired from their semi-final. Italian Musetti won the first set and was playing some exquisite tennis under the roof on Court Philippe-Chatrier. Advertisement But the 23-year-old had treatment on his leg during a one-sided third set and called it a day after Alcaraz won nine games in a row with the score 4-6 7-6 (3) 6-0 2-0. Lorenzo Musetti needed medical treatment (Aurelien Morissard/AP) There were echoes of a match here four years ago when Musetti retired against Novak Djokovic at 4-0 down in the fifth, later saying he was not injured but that he quit because he was 'not able to win a point'. Alcaraz, who will bid for a fifth grand slam title on Sunday, said: 'It is never great getting through like this. 'Lorenzo is a great player. He has had an incredible clay season. He's one of the few players who has achieved the semi-finals. I wish him all the best and a quick recovery. Advertisement 'The first two sets were really tough. I had chances to break his serve in the match and I couldn't make the most of it. 'He was playing great tennis. When I won the second set, there was relief. In the third I knew what I had to do – pushing him to the limit and trying to be aggressive. 'I was more calm and I could see this more clearly and I could play great tennis.' An exciting match looked on the cards when at 5-4 Musetti, who had not previously threatened the Alcaraz serve, suddenly broke to take the first set. Alcaraz served for the second set but the tension he was feeling was palpable as Musetti broke straight back. However, Alcaraz reset in the tie-break and, although Musetti saved two set points, he dumped a third into the net. Advertisement Musetti planted his hand onto his face after a bad miss handed the initiative to Alcaraz, who grabbed the early break in the third. Suddenly the shackles were off for Alcaraz while Musetti was labouring, winning just five points as the set disappeared over the horizon. The eighth seed had received treatment on his left leg but was still clearly hindered and when Alcaraz broke for 2-0 in the fourth, he decided he had had enough.
Hamilton Spectator
34 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
The Comeback Playoffs: There have been 10 rallies from 15 points or more down in this NBA postseason
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Welcome to the Comeback Playoffs, led by the Indiana Pacers. Indiana's rally from 15 points down in Game 1 of the NBA Finals was the 10th such comeback — from 15 or more — in this season's playoffs. The Pacers and Tyrese Haliburton are responsible for five of those comebacks; the rest of the league, combined, have the other five. Since the NBA began keeping track of such things in 1997, there has never been a postseason with more 15-point comebacks or more by a single team than the Pacers have pulled off this spring. Dallas had four comebacks from 15 points or more in the 2003 playoffs, and as a whole, the league saw nine of these games in the 2021 playoffs. But never five by one team, or 10 in one postseason since these things began getting charted — until now. A breakdown of the moments: Game 1, NBA Finals: Pacers down 15 Indiana — which looked doomed by turnovers all night — trailed by 15 points with just under 10 minutes to go in the fourth quarter and took its only lead of the game on a jumper by Tyrese Haliburton with 0.3 seconds remaining to steal Game 1 of the finals over the Thunder. Final score: Indiana 111, Oklahoma City 110. Game 3, East finals: Knicks down 20 This time, the Pacers had it happen to them. Indiana led by 20 points with 3:20 left in the second quarter, only to get outscored 71-45 the rest of the way. Jalen Brunson's jumper with 1:17 left put New York up for good and the Knicks prevailed, 106-100. Game 1, East finals: Pacers down 17 This game felt very over, especially when Karl-Anthony Towns made a 3-pointer for a 17-point New York lead with 6:26 left. Ha. The Pacers were still down 14 with 2:40 remaining, went on an incredible 20-6 run to tie the game — Haliburton's jumper hit the back of the rim, went about 17 feet in the air, and bounced in to force overtime — and the Pacers won 138-135. Game 5, East semifinals: Pacers down 19 Indiana closed out the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5 of this series, rallying from a 19-point hole that had been dug early in the second quarter. The Pacers got within four by halftime, took the lead midway through the third and kept it the rest of the way in what became a 114-105 win. Game 2, East semifinals: Knicks down 20 This game on May 7 marked the third consecutive day that a road team in the East semifinals erased what was exactly a 20-point deficit. Boston led 73-53 late in the third quarter, and New York outscored the Celtics 38-17 in the final 14 minutes. Brunson gave the Knicks their last lead on two free throws with 12.7 seconds left and New York escaped, 91-90. Game 2, East semifinals: Pacers down 20 Max Strus' dunk with 6:51 left in the third quarter put Cleveland up 81-61. and the Cavaliers kept their double-digit lead into the fourth quarter. Cleveland was up 119-112 with 48 seconds left; Indiana scored the final eight points and Haliburton's 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds remaining sealed a 120-119 stunner of a win. Game 1, East semifinals: Knicks down 20 Again, Boston led by 20 midway through the third quarter. The Knicks were undeterred. Brunson's 3-pointer with 4:07 left put New York on top, the start of what became a back-and-forth finish until OG Anunoby's dunk with 3:25 left in overtime put the Knicks up for good. Final score: Knicks 108, Celtics 105. Game 5, East quarterfinals: Pacers down 20 Milwaukee, playing to keep its season alive and without injured guard Damian Lillard (torn Achilles), roared out to a 33-13 lead early in the second quarter. Indiana kept chipping away, and a great back-and-forth battle after halftime was sealed when Haliburton made a layup with 1.4 seconds left for a 119-118 series-clinching win. Game 3, West quarterfinals: Thunder down 29 The biggest comeback of these playoffs still belongs to Oklahoma City, which was down 69-40 in Memphis in Game 3 of those teams' Western Conference first-round series. But Ja Morant got hurt and left the game, and without their guard the Grizzlies couldn't hold the lead. Oklahoma City outscored Memphis by 35 in the game's final 27 minutes to win 114-108. Game 1, West quarterfinals: Nuggets down 15 Little did we know that this game on Day 1 of the playoffs, April 19, was a harbinger of what awaited the rest of the way. Denver trailed the Los Angeles Clippers 51-36 midway through the second quarter, but recovered for a 112-110 win behind 29 points from Nikola Jokic. ___ AP NBA:
Fox Sports
36 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
The Comeback Playoffs: There have been 10 rallies from 15 points or more down in this NBA postseason
Associated Press OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Welcome to the Comeback Playoffs, led by the Indiana Pacers. Indiana's rally from 15 points down in Game 1 of the NBA Finals was the 10th such comeback — from 15 or more — in this season's playoffs. The Pacers and Tyrese Haliburton are responsible for five of those comebacks; the rest of the league, combined, have the other five. Since the NBA began keeping track of such things in 1997, there has never been a postseason with more 15-point comebacks or more by a single team than the Pacers have pulled off this spring. Dallas had four comebacks from 15 points or more in the 2003 playoffs, and as a whole, the league saw nine of these games in the 2021 playoffs. But never five by one team, or 10 in one postseason since these things began getting charted — until now. A breakdown of the moments: Game 1, NBA Finals: Pacers down 15 Indiana — which looked doomed by turnovers all night — trailed by 15 points with just under 10 minutes to go in the fourth quarter and took its only lead of the game on a jumper by Tyrese Haliburton with 0.3 seconds remaining to steal Game 1 of the finals over the Thunder. Final score: Indiana 111, Oklahoma City 110. Game 3, East finals: Knicks down 20 This time, the Pacers had it happen to them. Indiana led by 20 points with 3:20 left in the second quarter, only to get outscored 71-45 the rest of the way. Jalen Brunson's jumper with 1:17 left put New York up for good and the Knicks prevailed, 106-100. Game 1, East finals: Pacers down 17 This game felt very over, especially when Karl-Anthony Towns made a 3-pointer for a 17-point New York lead with 6:26 left. Ha. The Pacers were still down 14 with 2:40 remaining, went on an incredible 20-6 run to tie the game — Haliburton's jumper hit the back of the rim, went about 17 feet in the air, and bounced in to force overtime — and the Pacers won 138-135. Game 5, East semifinals: Pacers down 19 Indiana closed out the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5 of this series, rallying from a 19-point hole that had been dug early in the second quarter. The Pacers got within four by halftime, took the lead midway through the third and kept it the rest of the way in what became a 114-105 win. Game 2, East semifinals: Knicks down 20 This game on May 7 marked the third consecutive day that a road team in the East semifinals erased what was exactly a 20-point deficit. Boston led 73-53 late in the third quarter, and New York outscored the Celtics 38-17 in the final 14 minutes. Brunson gave the Knicks their last lead on two free throws with 12.7 seconds left and New York escaped, 91-90. Game 2, East semifinals: Pacers down 20 Max Strus' dunk with 6:51 left in the third quarter put Cleveland up 81-61. and the Cavaliers kept their double-digit lead into the fourth quarter. Cleveland was up 119-112 with 48 seconds left; Indiana scored the final eight points and Haliburton's 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds remaining sealed a 120-119 stunner of a win. Game 1, East semifinals: Knicks down 20 Again, Boston led by 20 midway through the third quarter. The Knicks were undeterred. Brunson's 3-pointer with 4:07 left put New York on top, the start of what became a back-and-forth finish until OG Anunoby's dunk with 3:25 left in overtime put the Knicks up for good. Final score: Knicks 108, Celtics 105. Game 5, East quarterfinals: Pacers down 20 Milwaukee, playing to keep its season alive and without injured guard Damian Lillard (torn Achilles), roared out to a 33-13 lead early in the second quarter. Indiana kept chipping away, and a great back-and-forth battle after halftime was sealed when Haliburton made a layup with 1.4 seconds left for a 119-118 series-clinching win. Game 3, West quarterfinals: Thunder down 29 The biggest comeback of these playoffs still belongs to Oklahoma City, which was down 69-40 in Memphis in Game 3 of those teams' Western Conference first-round series. But Ja Morant got hurt and left the game, and without their guard the Grizzlies couldn't hold the lead. Oklahoma City outscored Memphis by 35 in the game's final 27 minutes to win 114-108. Game 1, West quarterfinals: Nuggets down 15 Little did we know that this game on Day 1 of the playoffs, April 19, was a harbinger of what awaited the rest of the way. Denver trailed the Los Angeles Clippers 51-36 midway through the second quarter, but recovered for a 112-110 win behind 29 points from Nikola Jokic. ___ AP NBA: recommended
