Knicks fire Tom Thibodeau after playoff ouster in stunning shakeup
The Knicks are firing Tom Thibodeau in a shocking move to begin their offseason.
The move comes on the heels of the Knicks making the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years, a series they lost to the Pacers in six games.
The Knicks have fired Tom Thibodeau.
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
According to The Post's Stefan Bondy, the decision was made by team president Leon Rose, with a feeling that it is in best interest of getting to next level of winning a championship.
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Indianapolis Star
an hour ago
- Indianapolis Star
One phone call brought Haliburton, Siakam together, turned the Pacers into a contender.
OKLAHOMA CITY – Outside of a handful of interactions in summer workouts, Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton didn't know Pascal Siakam very well, when he learned Indiana might trade for the Toronto All-Star a year ago January. Haliburton and Siakam had exchanged pleasantries at Rico Runs — the well-known UCLA-based summer pickup games organized by longtime NBA assistant Rico Hines — but otherwise the pair hadn't often crossed paths. Now, with his front office considering a move to pair him with Siakam, Indiana's emerging franchise face thought it would be a good idea for the two to connect. Stepping out of a dinner during the team's mid-January swing through Atlanta last season, Haliburton talked with Siakam for roughly an hour. That phone call provided the building blocks of a relationship that's anchored the Pacers' run to the NBA Finals 17 months later. Re-live the Pacers unbelievable run to the 2025 NBA Finals with IndyStar's commemorative book 'I wanted to have a conversation, 'Hey, is this something you actually you want to do? Do you want to be here?'' Haliburton said Saturday, recounting the conversation. 'Because I think that the guys who have been a part of the nucleus of this group, we cherish this organization and what we have been able to build here. I think every team, when you ultimately win a championship or play at a high level, there's a trade that happens or you bring in somebody from the outside to be a part of it and you don't want to make the wrong move, right. 'If you go in for Pascal, you want it to be about the right things.' In Siakam, the Pacers were looking for an high-caliber complementary piece to Haliburton. At that point a two-time All-Star, Siakam had also garnered All-NBA second- and third-team nods during his career, and won a title with Toronto in 2019. And in Indiana, Siakam saw the forming momentum of a franchise rallying around a superlative young point guard. The kind of creative ball handler who could score in bunches but create for teammates with equal ease. 'We had a great conversation, and I think we just very much so aligned on wanting to win and that being the emphasis,' Haliburton said. 'I told him that, 'Hey, we could really play well together. I think I could get you the ball in space and allow you to do what you do.' He preached that there's many things that he could do to help me succeed.' And so it's been in the year and a half since a three-team trade brought Siakam to Indianapolis. After re-signing with the Pacers on a four-year contract worth close to $190 million in July, Siakam turned in the third All-Star season of his career this winter. He led Indiana in points and rebounds per game, and thus far is doing the same in the playoffs. He even narrowly edged Haliburton for Eastern Conference finals MVP, after Indiana dispatched the Knicks in six games. Together, their adaptable skillsets embody a team whose versatility has become one of its greatest strengths. These Pacers can play big or small, defend well, run the floor and find their offense all over it. Trading for Haliburton handed Indiana a franchise cornerstone around which it could build a winner. Siakam became the final, crucial piece to that puzzle. Together, they have positioned the Pacers as an NBA title contender for the first time in a quarter century, all of it starting with one forthright phone call between two men crucial to making it possible. 'The biggest thing that I can respect about him is just his work ethic,' Haliburton said. 'He comes in the gym, I know he's going to be there every day. I know the exact hoop he's going to be on, so I try not to take his hoop. I let him get his one-on-one work in. 'Seeing him work that hard makes me want to work harder, and I think that goes through our group. I love having him as a teammate.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Sources: Some Knicks players weren't thrilled with Tom Thibodeau, with his firing being spearheaded by owner James Dolan
OKLAHOMA CITY — The initial shock has worn off from the New York Knicks firing Tom Thibodeau after a successful five-year run and a trip to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2000. What was clear was Thibodeau's firing being spearheaded by Knicks owner James Dolan, sources told Yahoo Sports. Dolan and team president Leon Rose held exit meetings with key Knicks players and the complaints were clear. Advertisement Dolan, whom sources said was never a huge Thibodeau fan through the years, asked the questions in the meeting while Rose took a secondary role. A couple of players felt like Thibodeau played the starters too many minutes and felt he had an inability to adjust, sources said, and another player said he didn't feel like he could play for Thibodeau if the coach returned next season. The complaints obscured the success, perhaps — four winning seasons in five years, the last two being 50-win campaigns. Getting to at least the second round in the last three years was commendable, but perhaps the Knicks left food on the table in the playoffs, falling short to the Pacers last year and this year, the latter in spectacular fashion. Advertisement Thibodeau did play his starters a lot and didn't develop a bench the way other coaches have. Mikal Bridges openly complained about playing too many minutes and that's when it seemed things started to go sideways. You don't fire Thibodeau with three years and $30 million on a contract extension that won't kick in until next season because you lose in the conference finals. You fire Thibodeau because you want to. But it's unclear where the Knicks go from here. Perhaps they try to poach Jason Kidd from Dallas, maybe highly thought of assistant Johnnie Bryant gets his first job — albeit in a difficult situation. Advertisement Some have suggested the coaching search will go into Summer League in July, because it seems the Knicks don't have an outlined plan for the future. Either way, things are intriguing, if not wholly uncertain, in Manhattan.
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
NBA Finals Game 2: Date, time, TV channel for Thunder vs. Pacers
NBA Finals Game 2: Date, time, TV channel for Thunder vs. Pacers Show Caption Hide Caption Thunder's panic meter after Game 1 The Thunder's Game 1 collapse was wild. How concerned should Oklahoma City be going into Game 2? The For The Hoops crew gives a panic meter rating on a scale of 1 to 10. The Indiana Pacers did it again. Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers to a double-digit comeback to steal Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals on Thursday, capped off by a yet another game-winning shot to defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder, 111-110. Haliburton had 14 points (6-of-13 FG, 2-of-7 3PT), 10 rebounds and six assists in the win, while Pascal Siakam contributed a double-double with a team-high 19 points and 10 rebounds. The Thunder now find themselves in a 0-1 hole despite being in control for much of Game 1. Oklahoma City forced the Pacers into 25 turnovers, the most Indiana has surrendered all postseason long, and had a 15-point cushion in the fourth quarter before conceding the Pacers' first lead of the game with .3 seconds remaining after Haliburton's go-ahead field goal. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 38 points (14-of-30 FG, 3-of-6 3PT), five rebounds, three assists and three steals in the losing effort. Luguentz Dort finished with 15 points, four rebounds and four steals. The Thunder will look to even the series at home on Sunday before the NBA Finals shifts to Indiana. Here's everything you need to know about Game 2 of the NBA Finals: How to watch the Game 2 of the NBA Finals Game 2 of the 2025 NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers will be broadcast nationally on ABC on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET. Fans can stream it on Fubo (offers a free trial) and SlingTV. Watch the NBA Finals with Fubo NBA Finals 2025: Full schedule, time, TV channel, live streaming All times Eastern. *-if necessary Game 1: Pacers 111, Thunder 110 Pacers 111, Thunder 110 Game 2, June 8: Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8 p.m. Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8 p.m. Game 3, June 11: Thunder at Pacers | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m. Thunder at Pacers | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m. Game 4, June 13 : Thunder at Pacers | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m. : Thunder at Pacers | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m. Game 5, June 16 : Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m.* : Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m.* Game 6, June 19 : Thunder at Pacers | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m.* : Thunder at Pacers | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m.* Game 7, June 22: Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8 p.m.* The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
