The Game 5 question facing the Knicks that could make or break the season
With the Knicks season on the line, Tom Thibodeau faces a major decision.
A decision entirely of his own making.
Does he keep Mitchell Robinson in the starting lineup?
Or does he revert back to Josh Hart with the unit?
Thibodeau's reworked starting lineup performed decently in Game 3.
3 Jalen Brunson (11), Mitchell Robinson (23), Karl-Anthony Towns (32), Mikal Bridges (25) and teammates celebrate after the Knicks' Game 3 road win over the Pacers.
AP
When Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns and Robinson were on the court together, they were plus-1 in that game.
But that group was a disaster in the 130-121 Game 4 loss to the Pacers Tuesday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
They played 10 minutes together and were minus-8.
They quickly fell behind 16-11 to start the game before Thibodeau made his first sub.
3 Josh Hart reacts after he was called for a foul during the fourth quarter of the Knicks' Game 4 loss to the Pacers.
Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Then when all five were on the court together to start the second half, they immediately gave up a 7-0 run.
'I don't think we had a good grouping,' Thibodeau said after the game.
Robinson's struggles were at the forefront.
He was extremely effective off the bench in the first two games, but has regressed the past two games, particularly in Game 4.
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On Tuesday, he was a team-worst minus-20.
'Communication, that was the biggest thing. It started with me,' Robinson said. 'I wasn't talking first, and I'm the anchor of the defense. I'm not talking, nobody is.
'Feel like I got off to a slow start, especially in the first half. Started to pick it up in the second. I can't allow that, especially at the time right now. Just got to be better from the jump.'
With Robinson ineffective, Thibodeau opted to close with Hart instead of Robinson.
3 Tom Thibodeau yells onto the court during the first half of the Knicks' Game 4 loss to the Pacers.
AP
Hart played the entire fourth quarter until he fouled out with 1:44 left in the game. Robinson did not play at all in the fourth quarter.
'The hustle, making defensive transitions,' Thibodeau said of the decision to go with Hart over Robinson in the fourth quarter. 'Getting more continuity into the offense. We scored 120 points, that's plenty of points, but our defense wasn't good enough. The rebounding was good enough, but the defense and our turnovers hurt us.'
Hart ended up playing 36 minutes, while Robinson logged just 19.
So despite Robinson starting, Thibodeau clearly preferred his old unit with Hart joining the rest of the starters.
Now, a significant dilemma looms for Thibodeau in finding the right balance between Robinson and Hart.
Staving off elimination hinges on getting it right.
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