Tom Thibodeau had no regrets about taking the final shot in regulation. In actuality, he was satisfied with the shot despite Julius Randle’s baseline fadeaway missing iron.
The Knicks chose to isolate Randle with 24 seconds remaining in a game that was tied.
“The thing is, if you bring a second player over, they can trap, and they also had a foul to give,” Thibodeau remarked after the Knicks defeated the Bulls at the United Center by a score of 128-120 in overtime.
The Knicks’ coach said, “Get to your spot and shoot the ball, and Julius did just that.” It has a good appearance from that side.”
On the final play of regulation, Thibodeau was really happy with Randle’s defense. The Bulls attempted to lob the ball to Patrick Williams with 0.7 seconds remaining, but Randle read the play perfectly and disrupted it by landing hard on his back after sacrificing his body.
Randle had 31 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists, and Thibodeau remarked, “He’s been on a fantastic run all around.” “He made so many excellent plays for us throughout the game, and then to read that play at the end of regulation, which he did, and put it on the line, it’s a huge part of guys sacrificing for the team. There are no statistics on that.”
Despite being ill, Mitchell Robinson contributed eight points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks in 36 minutes. His finest moments occurred in extra time. With 1:04 remaining, he blocked a close-range attempt by Bulls star center Nikola Vucevic, and his offensive rebound resulted to a 3-pointer by Quentin Grimes that stretched the Knicks’ advantage to six. He contributed significantly to the Knicks’ 48-31 victory over the Bulls on the glass.
Joakim Noah, a former Knick who played for Thibodeau for the majority of his time with the Bulls, was there at the conclusion of Thibodeau’s pre-game press conference. As Noah entered the room, Thibodeau joked, “Late as usual…. My dude.”
“Are you attending Derrick’s wedding and not mine?” he questioned, referring to his former Bulls colleague and current Knicks guard Derrick Rose. The two then enjoyed a warm embrace.
For the Knicks, Ryan Arcidiacono (left ankle strain) and Obi Toppin (right fibula) remained sidelined. … Lonzo Ball (left knee) and Ayo Dosunmu (pelvic contusion) were out for the Bulls… Former New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls forward Charles Oakley was present.
»Tom Thibodeau has no regrets about Julius Randle’s shot towards the end of regulation«