Tom Thibodeau | New York Knicks Postgame Press Conference | March 16th, 2024

Tom Thibodeau | New York Knicks Postgame Press Conference | March 16th, 2024

What can you say about the fourth quarter and the way you guys pulled it out there oh it’s a hardfought game that it there was a physicality to it and so I thought we made a lot of tough plays particularly in the fourth quarter when the game was into balance and you know

You can’t say enough about the way Isaiah played protecting the rim um and Josh same thing you know flying all over the place uh and OG just impacting the game like with out scoring like everywhere and then I thought uh we got good bench play from Alec and uh bogie

And then you know you almost come to expect what Jaylen did you know it’s every night and it’s big play after big play and you know like every time you need a big bucket he comes up with it and uh you know it was a good good team

Win like I thought the defense was really good to they’re they’re a very gifted offensive team team to hold them 35% 91 and they missed some shots that you know were makeable shots but we were flying around too you know but I thought the extra effort was huge for it if you

Don’t have that against this team they could put a bunch of points up on the board on you how about um jaylen’s finishing um the last two games around the rim everywhere I mean how incredible has it been yeah I mean he’s just such a gifted shot maker and you know like the

He’s he’s a hard guy you know I I don’t want to say too much but like I felt like he’s getting hit a lot right but the best part of them is he never complains he’s not crying he’ll just keep going he and he’ll focus on making the shot which he

Did so without getting off his game he just kept going but he you know to drive the ball as many times as he does and the physicality that he you know he’s being trapped they’re they’re pursuing him they’re hitting him and he only had four free throws so but you know that’s

What I love about him he’s tough-minded uh can he’ll figure it out he he he knows how the game’s being called he knows he’s on the road it’s going to be tough and that doesn’t slow him down you don’t let the officials impact him in any way you you had guys

Today who struggled offensively but I think you held them the last 230 on scoreless just I guess what do you see from guys that when they’re not having a night offensively to come up like that big yeah and and the thing is is like I thought offensively I like the way we

Played I thought guys made good plays to create open shots for each other and so that’s all you could ask if you’re open shoot it right if it doesn’t go in fine next one next one’s in they just have that mentality but I like the way we

Move the ball and then we had a good stretch to start the third but then I felt like their ball pressure got us a little bit but then once we adjusted to that and we got a little more movement and cuts it loosened up things and then

We we got going again and so it was a hardfought game you know throughout and not to get sidetracked and stay you know focused on what we needed to do I think was critical for us you always talk about how good Jaylen is of just getting

Off the ball when double teams come what makes him so good at like the next step after that is actually then relocating and opening yourself up what makes him so good at that step so that when the ball comes back to him to where he’s still able to kind of create those good

Open shots yeah well I think just understanding like what they’re trying to do is they’re putting two to get the ball out of your hands and then his teammates also understanding let him keep moving because now when he gets it back now the the defense is in a

Scramble right so now he got another chance to go against you know a a defense that that’s not quite as set and when you give him that opportunity he’s going to find the scene so I think overall the team has done a great job with that I think Josh is great at it

Dante’s great at it Isaiah’s great at it and OG’s like OG’s OG’s a basketball player he does a little bit of everything coach how much did Isaiah set the tone early on he with Damas he HS the block and then he ties him up he

Gets on the floor how much did that kind of set the tone yeah know and and sabonis is is a load to deal with because you got to defend every aspect of the game you you know him running the floor him leading the break him in the

Post him on a dribble handoff him on a pick and Pock uh him in the pocket right and I thought every one of those you got to be able to do like a second and third effort because it’s not just him you’re you’re involved with helping on you know

Malik Monk on dearen Fox uh because those guys can’t are difficult to guard individually so you you have to support get back and then there’s a second third fourth effort required and I thought but that was you know off the charts and the the block shots just you know Rim

Protection was huge for us coach uh Tio um I can tell you you know both John bogdanovich and Alec Burke doesn’t matter what uniform they come in they’re wearing when they come in this building uh they really do have uh good games but I just want to know uh from you I know

They shot what around 40% from the floor but they were making timely baskets uh how how special are they are you know playing for the Knicks right now uh it’s huge for us and we we know both guys are gifted shot makers and it’s each day

It’s a little bit better I think it’s hard in season trades but if you know what they’ve done throughout their career so I think we’re we’re fortunate to have gotten them uh today was a good day because as you mentioned those are timely shots and they’re big shots and

So Alec gives you a secondary ball handler as well so I thought Deuce’s ball pressure was huge for us and then Alec on the ball and then I thought we did a better job of trying to search uh boan out and and create shots for him

And I think when we do that and you get everyone playing to their strengths the team functions a lot better so I think we’re still figuring out exactly how we want to do that but it’s it’s getting better each day but we got great minutes from our bench today um uh you put

Jaylen back in at 7:30 in the fourth did you just leave him out of there was that a minutes restriction thing you the other day or was that just no that’s pretty much gone now so it’s you know that was more a byproduct of you know after the the entry but the those

Minutes are we were just buying time and that the group that was in there was was going pretty good so I felt like okay let’s give him an extra minute here minute and a half whatever it was so and I knew that they’d be loaded up on them

Pretty good so I wanted to make sure that he had the energy to finish right thanks y

Coach Thibodeau addresses the media after Knicks’ win over the Sacramento Kings.

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