“Wouldn’t play 9 guys in a baseball game”: Shaquille O’Neal’s partner-in-crime bamboozled by Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau

New York Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau relied more on his bench in his team’s 106-100 Game 3 win against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday. Instead of an eight-man rotation, Thibodeau used a ninth player, Landry Shamet, to give the starters a boost. The strategy helped the Knicks to a breakthrough win and cut the Pacers’ series lead to 2-1.

Shaquille O’Neal’s Inside the NBA co-host, Kenny Smith, had this to say about Thibodeau’s move at halftime in Game 3.

“Thibodeau wouldn’t play nine guys in a baseball game. I’m surprised! I’m surprised that he has done that.”

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Tom Thibodeau has gotten flak over the years for playing a short rotation in the playoffs. He usually sticks to eight players when the postseason comes.

In back-to-back losses to the Pacers, Thibodeau relied on Mitchell Robinson, Cameron Payne and Miles McBride to give the starters a breather. Only Robinson and McBride are averaging over 10 minutes per game in the ECF among non-starters.

The trend changed when Thibodeau played Landry Shamet over 11 minutes in Game 3. Still, Kenny Smith could not help but troll the coach for his overreliance on his opening lineup.

The Knicks faced a 0-2 deficit after the first two games in New York. Thibodeau tweaked his Game 3 strategy by deviating from his usual eight-man rotation. After the win, the coach might stick to the same plan for Game 4.

Tom Thibodeau moved Josh Hart to the bench for Mitchell Robinson

Josh Hart has struggled on offense in the Eastern Conference finals against the Indiana Pacers. After averaging 14.5 points in the semis versus the Boston Celtics, he is putting up 7.5 PPG in the ECF.

New York Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau moved Josh Hart to the bench to play a double big opening five with Mitchell Robinson taking the shooting guard’s spot. Hart played 34 minutes to Robinson’s 29 but did not start for the first time this season.

The Knicks were already dominant in rebounding in the series, but Thibodeau wanted to give the Pacers a different look. The move seemed to backfire as New York struggled in the first half when Karl-Anthony Towns and Robinson played together. They trailed 58-45 after two quarters.

When New York rallied in the fourth quarter to pull off the come-from-behind win, Tom Thibodeau went back to Josh Hart, who played the entire period. Robinson started, but when the chips were down, Thibodeau relied on Hart to deliver.

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Michael Macasero

Michael Macasero brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his coverage of basketball at Sportskeeda with over 18 years of diverse work experience. This includes stints at Convergys, Interpace and RunRepeat.

Michael's background in English and Journalism has provided him with the analytical skills and precision necessary for creating content, and he is a lifelong fan of the Boston Celtics. His favorite players include legends like Larry Bird and Michael Jordan, modern stars like Tim Duncan, and Nikola Jokic, as well as emerging talent like Victor Wembanyama.

Michael respects Gregg Popovich, despite his contentious demeanor in interviews, and recognizes Popovich's genius in adapting his coaching style to maximize the talent on his roster over the years. Michael eagerly anticipates seeing how Popovich will structure the offense around emerging talent like Victor Wembanyama.

Understanding the story and details is crucial to Michael's reporting philosophy and he believes overlooking details, particularly when pressed for time, can lead to misunderstandings and inaccurate conclusions.

Aside from work, Michael's children are his hobbies, and he also likes to go running, swimming and weightlifting.

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