Jeff Van Gully wrote:i can't defend anyone tonight. this is the single worst finish to a game I've maybe ever seen. you play until the final horn.
hold the ball and defend the three. even intentional foul if you have to.
thibs didn't miss 12 free throws though.
I was surprised to see the Knicks foul up 3, let alone with some shaky free throw shooters on the court and with no timeouts left. We literally risked losing the game in regulation, and we didn't avoid the tie. Uncharacteristic of Thibs, let alone in this particular context.
While I don't necessarily feel strongly about it, I think Thibs should have used more of his timeouts to stop the bleeding. I also think we should have killed more seconds on the game clock. The collapse was imminent - you could smell it.
I think he should have also let Brunson sit until the game demanded it. Sure, the Pacers were going to make shots after a cold stretch, but we were clamping the Pacers with McBride and the big lineup. Putting Brunson back in the game breathed new life into their offense.
This loss was a collective collapse, and also a miracle by the Pacers. This was not about just coaching - far from it. But I thought Thibs was offbeat and not sharp enough down the stretch.

























