The New York Knicks just dropped Game 2 of their first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks. A late-game collapse completely derailed the Knicks’ chances at winning, highlighted by a Mikal Bridges miss at the end of the game—a shot that was taken without New York taking its final timeout. It seemed like the exact type of situation Tom Thibodeau would have called a timeout in.
But, he couldn't have. Because the broadcast messed up. The Knicks didn't actually have a timeout, because Mike Brown had already used two in the final three minutes. Still, Thibodeau may have taken a much different approach in the final few minutes of the game. And that could have helped New York stop the bleeding.
Something they desperately needed to do in the fourth quarter.
Tom Thibodeau would have called timeout at end of Knicks-Hawks Game 2
Brown called a timeout with 10:30 left in the fourth quarter. From that point on, the Hawks went on a 16-9 run, cutting the Knicks' eight-point lead down to one by the time Brown called his next timeout at the 2:43 mark.
To make matters worse, Brown didn't use one of his timeouts. It went to waste. Since teams only get two timeouts in the final three minutes, and Brown didn't use one before that, his third timeout just evaporated into thin air.
All that time, Brown could have been calling a quick timeout when the Knicks were spiraling out of control, but he didn't. He called it too late.
Thibodeau almost certainly would have called the timeout. He's not afraid to call an angry timeout in the heat of the moment, and New York could have used one of those in Game 2.
Thibodeau would have called a timeout at any point down the stretch as the Knicks were blowing their lead. Atlanta just bullied New York in transition.
A Thibodeau timeout could have changed everything for the Knicks in Game 2. Sure. But that’s a pretty short-sighted way of viewing things, no matter how much losing Game 2 to the Hawks stings.
Thibodeau was let go for a reason. No matter how much success he had last year in New York, the Knicks needed a change of leadership. Fresh eyes to lead the team.
But still, while stewing over the painful loss that unfolded on Monday night, there will inevitably be some fans who think about what could have happened if Thibodeau was still in charge.
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