Rotation adjustments have unleashed the Knicks' physicality
Yahoo Sports senior NBA analysts Kevin O'Connor and Tom Haberstroh react to Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals and discuss how Tom Thibodeau's adjustments sparked the Knicks to a win over the Pacers.. Hear the full conversation on 'The Kevin O'Connor Show' and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.
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Tom Thibodeau, going into his bench, Tom, to win the game.
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Listen, man, I thought he would never switch up the starting lineup.
He did that after a couple games in this series, switching up with Mitchell Robinson going in the starting lineup.
Tom Thibodeau is loosening up, man.
Like this guy was insistent on playing these.
The 5-man unit with Josh Hart in there next to Mill Bridges, OGN and Obi Cat and Brunson all season long for about 47 to 48 minutes every game.
And then here in the playoffs in this series against the Pacers, he's opened up the rotation.
He started adding more Landry Shamit minutes.
Delon Wright, Deuce McBride, these guys, yes, Deuce McBride has been a part of the rotation in the regular season, but Shamit was awesome in this game and has been for this series.
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I think there is something like + over uh + 30 in this series with Landry Shame onto the floor, and this is a big Adjustment for Tom Thibodeaux.
It's a new look for him.
We've never seen Thibodeaux be so open-minded to giving these guys minutes and it's given Brunson a lot of rest.
Campaign is out of the rotation, and I do think that Thibodeaux going deeper into this bench has kind of changed the series a little bit here.
And we saw the Knicks tonight, Blitzen, hedging, pressuring Halliburton off ball, basically forcing.
Everybody else to beat them in the game.
If you're gonna blitz Tyrese Halliburton, the the rest of the team has to step up.
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They didn't have a guy in double figures, Kev, until like late in the 3rd quarter.
The game was decided by the physicality and deciding to try to just bully, not just Tyrese Halliburton with the ball and try to get the ball out of his hands, but also on the other end, just go right at the paint, 58 paint points and the numbers around the rim.
were insane.
Like the, the Pacers just couldn't get anything going.
They just looked totally out of this.
And you know what, like, they've earned it going up 3-1.
They've excused, you, they've allowed just one of these games, probably under their belt to have the worst game of their postseason, first time.
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They haven't scored at least 100 points in a game, but, uh, the Knicks, they feel like right now they've figured out something.
I bullying, doubling, trying to blitz Tyrese Halliburton and try to get the ball out of his hands.
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