Silence means slow start to NBA coach ride for Knicks
The New York Knicks have been denied permission to speak with several high-profile coaches in a slow start to find Tom Thibodeau's replacement.
New York were not allowed to speak with Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd, Ime Udoka of the Houston Rockets and Minnesota's Chris Finch.
All three coaches are under contract and their organisations declined to make them available for interviews with the Knicks, said two people with knowledge of the details, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the interview process was to remain private.
The Knicks fired Thibodeau on June 3, despite reaching the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years.
They reached the play-offs four times in Thibodeau's five seasons and had won at least 50 games in each of the final two.
The Knicks appear to be trying to find out if any coaches they like who already have jobs might be added to their list, along with the ones who are currently available.
The Mavericks have confirmed that a request was submitted and denied.
Sports broadcaster ESPN first reported on all three decisions and added later on Wednesday (local time) that the Knicks had also been denied by Atlanta in a request to interview Hawks coach Quin Snyder.
Knicks president Leon Rose interviewed Kidd and Udoka in 2020 before hiring Thibodeau. Both also played for the Knicks, with Kidd ending his Hall of Fame career on the team that reached the 2013 play-offs - the Knicks' last appearance before Thibodeau's arrival.
Kidd led the Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals, Finch has guided the Timberwolves to back-to-back trips to the West finals, and Udoka took a young Rockets team to the No.2 seed in the West this season, so none of the organisations is interested in searching for a new coach.
However, there are still plenty of potential candidates.
The Denver Nuggets fired Michael Malone, who led them to the 2023 NBA championship, in the final week of the regular season. The Memphis Grizzlies fired Taylor Jenkins, who guided them to a pair of 50-win seasons, just before that, and Sacramento axed Mike Brown - like Thibodeau a two-time NBA Coach of the Year - earlier in the season.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Advertiser
18 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Indiana set cracking pace to reclaim NBA Finals lead
Bennedict Mathurin scored 27 points off the bench and Tyrese Haliburton added 22 as the Indiana Pacers reclaimed the lead in the NBA Finals by beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 116-107 in Game 3. Haliburton also had 11 assists and nine rebounds for the Pacers, who got 21 points from Pascal Siakam and enjoyed a whopping 49-18 edge in bench points on Wednesday night (Thursday AEST), most notably from reserve guards Bennedict Mathurin (27 points) and T.J. McConnell. The Pacers, who lost Game 2 in Oklahoma City, improved to 10-0 since mid-March in the game immediately following a loss. "So many different guys chipped in," Haliburton said. Jalen Williams scored 26 points, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 24 and Chet Holmgren had 20 for the Thunder, who led by five going into the fourth. Game 4 is back in Indiana on Friday night (Saturday AEST). History says the Pacers are in control of the series now. In the 41 previous NBA Finals that were tied at a game apiece, the Game 3 winner went on to hoist the trophy 33 times - an 80.5 per cent success rate. It was back-and-forth much of the way, at times looking like an absolute classic. There were 15 ties. To put that into perspective, there were 13 ties in the five-game entirety of last year's finals between Boston and Dallas. The last time there was a finals game with more ties was in Game 1 between Cleveland in Golden State in 2018, which was knotted 17 times. McConnell finished with 10 points, five assists and five steals for Indiana. Since all those stats started being charted, nobody had ever come off the bench and done all that in an NBA Finals game. "Those guys were tremendous," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said of his reserves. "T.J. just brought a competitive will to the game. "This is the kind of the team we are. This is how we have to do it. We have to make it as difficult on them as we can." The Pacers' Aaron Nesmith fouled Alex Caruso - a hard foul, for certain - with 2:35 left, and officials took a long look to determine if it met the criteria for a flagrant foul. A common foul was the final call and instead of two free throws plus the ball, it was just two free throws for Caruso. He made both, cutting the lead to 110-104. But the Pacers - at home in an NBA Finals game for the first time in 25 years - kept control the rest of the way. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault must now rally his troops again. "I thought we had some really good stretches, but we just made one too many mistakes," Daigneault said. "And had one too many possessions on both ends of the floor where they were more tied to their identity than we were. But obviously, those are costly plays." Bennedict Mathurin scored 27 points off the bench and Tyrese Haliburton added 22 as the Indiana Pacers reclaimed the lead in the NBA Finals by beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 116-107 in Game 3. Haliburton also had 11 assists and nine rebounds for the Pacers, who got 21 points from Pascal Siakam and enjoyed a whopping 49-18 edge in bench points on Wednesday night (Thursday AEST), most notably from reserve guards Bennedict Mathurin (27 points) and T.J. McConnell. The Pacers, who lost Game 2 in Oklahoma City, improved to 10-0 since mid-March in the game immediately following a loss. "So many different guys chipped in," Haliburton said. Jalen Williams scored 26 points, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 24 and Chet Holmgren had 20 for the Thunder, who led by five going into the fourth. Game 4 is back in Indiana on Friday night (Saturday AEST). History says the Pacers are in control of the series now. In the 41 previous NBA Finals that were tied at a game apiece, the Game 3 winner went on to hoist the trophy 33 times - an 80.5 per cent success rate. It was back-and-forth much of the way, at times looking like an absolute classic. There were 15 ties. To put that into perspective, there were 13 ties in the five-game entirety of last year's finals between Boston and Dallas. The last time there was a finals game with more ties was in Game 1 between Cleveland in Golden State in 2018, which was knotted 17 times. McConnell finished with 10 points, five assists and five steals for Indiana. Since all those stats started being charted, nobody had ever come off the bench and done all that in an NBA Finals game. "Those guys were tremendous," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said of his reserves. "T.J. just brought a competitive will to the game. "This is the kind of the team we are. This is how we have to do it. We have to make it as difficult on them as we can." The Pacers' Aaron Nesmith fouled Alex Caruso - a hard foul, for certain - with 2:35 left, and officials took a long look to determine if it met the criteria for a flagrant foul. A common foul was the final call and instead of two free throws plus the ball, it was just two free throws for Caruso. He made both, cutting the lead to 110-104. But the Pacers - at home in an NBA Finals game for the first time in 25 years - kept control the rest of the way. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault must now rally his troops again. "I thought we had some really good stretches, but we just made one too many mistakes," Daigneault said. "And had one too many possessions on both ends of the floor where they were more tied to their identity than we were. But obviously, those are costly plays." Bennedict Mathurin scored 27 points off the bench and Tyrese Haliburton added 22 as the Indiana Pacers reclaimed the lead in the NBA Finals by beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 116-107 in Game 3. Haliburton also had 11 assists and nine rebounds for the Pacers, who got 21 points from Pascal Siakam and enjoyed a whopping 49-18 edge in bench points on Wednesday night (Thursday AEST), most notably from reserve guards Bennedict Mathurin (27 points) and T.J. McConnell. The Pacers, who lost Game 2 in Oklahoma City, improved to 10-0 since mid-March in the game immediately following a loss. "So many different guys chipped in," Haliburton said. Jalen Williams scored 26 points, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 24 and Chet Holmgren had 20 for the Thunder, who led by five going into the fourth. Game 4 is back in Indiana on Friday night (Saturday AEST). History says the Pacers are in control of the series now. In the 41 previous NBA Finals that were tied at a game apiece, the Game 3 winner went on to hoist the trophy 33 times - an 80.5 per cent success rate. It was back-and-forth much of the way, at times looking like an absolute classic. There were 15 ties. To put that into perspective, there were 13 ties in the five-game entirety of last year's finals between Boston and Dallas. The last time there was a finals game with more ties was in Game 1 between Cleveland in Golden State in 2018, which was knotted 17 times. McConnell finished with 10 points, five assists and five steals for Indiana. Since all those stats started being charted, nobody had ever come off the bench and done all that in an NBA Finals game. "Those guys were tremendous," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said of his reserves. "T.J. just brought a competitive will to the game. "This is the kind of the team we are. This is how we have to do it. We have to make it as difficult on them as we can." The Pacers' Aaron Nesmith fouled Alex Caruso - a hard foul, for certain - with 2:35 left, and officials took a long look to determine if it met the criteria for a flagrant foul. A common foul was the final call and instead of two free throws plus the ball, it was just two free throws for Caruso. He made both, cutting the lead to 110-104. But the Pacers - at home in an NBA Finals game for the first time in 25 years - kept control the rest of the way. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault must now rally his troops again. "I thought we had some really good stretches, but we just made one too many mistakes," Daigneault said. "And had one too many possessions on both ends of the floor where they were more tied to their identity than we were. But obviously, those are costly plays." Bennedict Mathurin scored 27 points off the bench and Tyrese Haliburton added 22 as the Indiana Pacers reclaimed the lead in the NBA Finals by beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 116-107 in Game 3. Haliburton also had 11 assists and nine rebounds for the Pacers, who got 21 points from Pascal Siakam and enjoyed a whopping 49-18 edge in bench points on Wednesday night (Thursday AEST), most notably from reserve guards Bennedict Mathurin (27 points) and T.J. McConnell. The Pacers, who lost Game 2 in Oklahoma City, improved to 10-0 since mid-March in the game immediately following a loss. "So many different guys chipped in," Haliburton said. Jalen Williams scored 26 points, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 24 and Chet Holmgren had 20 for the Thunder, who led by five going into the fourth. Game 4 is back in Indiana on Friday night (Saturday AEST). History says the Pacers are in control of the series now. In the 41 previous NBA Finals that were tied at a game apiece, the Game 3 winner went on to hoist the trophy 33 times - an 80.5 per cent success rate. It was back-and-forth much of the way, at times looking like an absolute classic. There were 15 ties. To put that into perspective, there were 13 ties in the five-game entirety of last year's finals between Boston and Dallas. The last time there was a finals game with more ties was in Game 1 between Cleveland in Golden State in 2018, which was knotted 17 times. McConnell finished with 10 points, five assists and five steals for Indiana. Since all those stats started being charted, nobody had ever come off the bench and done all that in an NBA Finals game. "Those guys were tremendous," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said of his reserves. "T.J. just brought a competitive will to the game. "This is the kind of the team we are. This is how we have to do it. We have to make it as difficult on them as we can." The Pacers' Aaron Nesmith fouled Alex Caruso - a hard foul, for certain - with 2:35 left, and officials took a long look to determine if it met the criteria for a flagrant foul. A common foul was the final call and instead of two free throws plus the ball, it was just two free throws for Caruso. He made both, cutting the lead to 110-104. But the Pacers - at home in an NBA Finals game for the first time in 25 years - kept control the rest of the way. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault must now rally his troops again. "I thought we had some really good stretches, but we just made one too many mistakes," Daigneault said. "And had one too many possessions on both ends of the floor where they were more tied to their identity than we were. But obviously, those are costly plays."
ABC News
21 hours ago
- ABC News
Tyrese Haliburton and Bennedict Mathurin star as Indiana Pacers take Game 3 against Oklahoma City Thunder
Bennedict Mathurin scored 27 points off the bench, Tyrese Haliburton added 22 and the Indiana Pacers reclaimed the lead in the NBA Finals by beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 116-107 in Game 3. Haliburton also had 11 assists and nine rebounds for the Pacers, who got 21 points from Pascal Siakam and enjoyed a whopping 49-18 edge in bench points. The Pacers, who lost Game 2 in Oklahoma City, improved to 10-0 since mid-March in the game immediately following a loss. Mathurin became just the third player to score at least 25 points off the bench in an NBA Finals game, joining Jason Terry and Manu Ginobili. Jalen Williams scored 26 points, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 24 and Chet Holmgren had 20 for the Thunder, who led by five going into the fourth. History says the Pacers are in control of the series now. In the 41 previous NBA Finals that were tied at a game apiece, the Game 3 winner went on to hoist the trophy 33 times. It was back-and-forth much of the way, at times looking like an absolute classic. There were 15 ties; to put that in perspective, there were 13 ties in the five-game entirety of last year's finals between Boston and Dallas. TJ McConnell finished with 10 points, five assists and five steals for Indiana. Since all those stats started being charted, nobody had ever come off the bench and done all that in an NBA Finals game. The Pacers' Aaron Nesmith fouled Alex Caruso — a hard foul, for certain — with 2:35 left, and officials took a long look to determine if it met the criteria for a flagrant foul. A common foul was the final call so instead of two free throws plus the ball, it was just two free throws for Caruso. He made both, cutting the lead to 110-104. But the Pacers — at home in an NBA Finals game for the first time in 25 years — kept control the rest of the way. AP
Perth Now
21 hours ago
- Perth Now
Indiana set cracking pace to take take NBA Finals lead
Bennedict Mathurin scored 27 points off the bench and Tyrese Haliburton added 22 as the Indiana Pacers reclaimed the lead in the NBA Finals by beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 116-107 in Game 3. Haliburton also had 11 assists and nine rebounds for the Pacers, who got 21 points from Pascal Siakam and enjoyed a whopping 49-18 edge in bench points on Wednesday night (Thursday AEST). The Pacers, who lost Game 2 in Oklahoma City, improved to 10-0 since mid-March in the game immediately following a loss. "So many different guys chipped in," Haliburton said. Jalen Williams scored 26 points, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 24 and Chet Holmgren had 20 for the Thunder, who led by five going into the fourth. Game 4 is back in Indiana on Friday night (Saturday AEST). History says the Pacers are in control of the series now. In the 41 previous NBA Finals that were tied at a game apiece, the Game 3 winner went on to hoist the trophy 33 times - an 80.5 per cent success rate. It was back-and-forth much of the way, at times looking like an absolute classic. There were 15 ties. To put that into perspective, there were 13 ties in the five-game entirety of last year's finals between Boston and Dallas. The last time there was a finals game with more ties was in Game 1 between Cleveland in Golden State in 2018, which was knotted 17 times. TJ McConnell finished with 10 points, five assists and five steals for Indiana. Since all those stats started being charted, nobody had ever come off the bench and done all that in an NBA Finals game. "We just had guys make plays after plays," Haliburton said. "Our bench was amazing." The Pacers' Aaron Nesmith fouled Alex Caruso - a hard foul, for certain - with 2:35 left, and officials took a long look to determine if it met the criteria for a flagrant foul. A common foul was the final call and instead of two free throws plus the ball, it was just two free throws for Caruso. He made both, cutting the lead to 110-104. But the Pacers - at home in an NBA Finals game for the first time in 25 years - kept control the rest of the way.
