The New York Knicks suffered another double-digit loss to the Boston Celtics, igniting a wave of criticism aimed at head coach Tom Thibodeau.
The Knicks fell to 0-3 against the Celtics this season, each of those losses coming by double digits. Boston pulled off the 118-105 win on Sunday in a game that wasn’t as close as the final score indicated.
Adding insult to injury, Knicks All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns suffered what appeared to be a knee injury in the second half against the Celtics. Despite the injury scare and retreating to the locker room, he re-entered the game and logged 41 minutes. A chunk of those in the fourth quarter when the game was out of reach. Some fans could not believe that Towns was in the game.
“WTF is Towns still on the floor. Enough come on Thibs you got to be better,” one fan said.
Another X user added: “Towns can barely run, Thibs is such an idiot having him out there.”
Knicks Dealing With Injury Issues
Thibodeau is known for playing his starters heavy minutes, but some just didn’t think this was the time to do it with Towns clearly hobbled.
“There is no legitimate explanation for Thibs playing an injured Karl-Anthony Towns down 20 with 2 minutes left in the fourth quarter,” a fan said. “What is wrong with this guy? The Knicks remain outclassed against elite teams, and he doesn’t protect his players.”
The Knicks just got OG Anunoby and Josh Hart back. Anunoby missed five games with a foot issue, while Hart has been dealing with ongoing knee soreness. Hart rarely misses time but sat out the first two games after the All-Star break.
Knicks Struggling to Hang With Top Contenders
Despite a strong 37-19 record, New York has yet to defeat either the Celtics or the Cleveland Cavaliers — the only two teams currently ahead of them in the Eastern Conference standings. This inability to overcome the league’s top competition has led some to question their legitimacy as true contenders. The Knicks were smacked by the Cavaliers 142-105 on Friday.
“You can’t explain it,” Jalen Brunson said after the loss to the Cavs. “I’m at a loss for words really.”
The Celtics and Cavaliers rank among the league’s elite high-volume 3-point shooting teams. Thibodeau has highlighted their knack for igniting rapid scoring runs as a significant challenge for the Knicks.
“I think for teams that are high-volume 3-point shooting, there’s going to be variances where the score can go up quick, but you can also get back quick. You just can’t give in,” Thibodeau said. “And that’s the biggest thing. You can’t let anything break you. You got to have the mental toughness to get through things. And so, there’s got to be a lot more resolve, particularly on the road against a team that is this good.”
The Knicks have a brief break to recalibrate after two back-to-back tough losses. They’ll host the Philadelphia 76ers on Feb. 26. The Sixers have lost seven games in a row and have won just one game in the month of February.
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