New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau made no excuses following his team’s 127-102 defeat to the Boston Celtics in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Speaking postgame at TD Garden, Thibodeau emphasized his frustration with New York’s lack of consistent effort throughout the night.
“That we didn’t play for 48 minutes,” Thibodeau said when asked what disappointed him most. “Start of the second quarter we didn’t play well. We had a lead, didn’t play tough with the lead. Came out to start the third, didn’t play well there.”
The Celtics, playing without Jayson Tatum, outscored the Knicks 68-44 in the second half and forced a Game 6 at Madison Square Garden.
When asked about the Celtics’ defensive strategy of placing Jrue Holiday on Karl-Anthony Towns, Thibodeau noted the complication: “You got Kornet on the backside coming on a double.”
Towns, who finished with 19 points, has connected on just two three-pointers in the entire series. Thibodeau attributed that to Boston’s aggressive perimeter defense and foul trouble: “They’re staying with him… he was in foul trouble.”
Boston’s Derrick White set the tone early, scoring 21 of his 34 points in the first half. “He got space,” Thibodeau said. “You can’t give him that type of space.”
Despite leading by eight in the second quarter, New York collapsed during a pivotal 23-9 Celtics run to close the third frame.
Thibodeau, who kept his starters in for much of that stretch, said his decisions were based on “just searching.”
The Knicks struggled to match Boston’s intensity on defense, a point Thibodeau returned to multiple times. “We got to get stops… that probably hurt us as well,” he said.
He also rejected the idea that the Celtics’ offense looked different without Tatum: “They have a lot of shooting on the floor… you can’t be slow getting back.”
New York gave up 22 threes and allowed Boston to shoot 52.4% from the field, while committing 20 fouls and surrendering 18 free throw attempts in the third quarter alone.
Asked about Jalen Brunson’s foul trouble and absence to begin the fourth, Thibodeau said: “Just felt like the game wasn’t—like if we were going to have a chance, it was going to be right.”
Brunson fouled out with 7:19 remaining, finishing with 22 points on 7-for-17 shooting.
As the series shifts back to New York, Thibodeau stressed urgency on transition defense and communication. “You got to sprint back, you got to communicate… If one guy’s slow, you’re going to give them an open shot.”
The Knicks still hold a 3-2 series lead, but the defending champions have seized momentum heading into Friday’s Game 6.
