Tom Thibodeau had no regrets on the final shot of regulation. In fact, he was pleased with the shot, despite Julius Randle’s baseline not hitting the iron.
The Knicks chose to isolate Randle with a full 24 seconds left in the game.
“The thing is, if you bring in the second guy, they can get trapped, and they should have fouled out,” Thibodeau said after the Knicks’ 128-120 overtime win over the Bulls at the United Center. after winning the fifth.
The Knicks coach added, “Go to your spot, get your shot, and Julius did it. It’s a good look from that side.”
Thibodeau was very pleased with Randle’s defense in the final game of regulation. With 0.7 seconds left, the Bulls tried to lob it to Patrick Williams, but Randle read it well and broke the play, dropping his body and falling hard on his back.
“He’s had a great run,” Thibodeau said of Randle, who had 31 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists. “He made a lot of good plays for us the whole game, and then to read that play [at the end regulation], what he did, and to put it on the line, that’s a lot of guys who are making sacrifices for the team. There are no statistics for that.”
Mitchell Robinson was battling an illness and had eight points, 10 rebounds and two blocks in 36 minutes. His best moments came in overtime. He blocked a layup by Bulls star Nikola Vucevic and it was his offensive rebound that set up Quentin Grimes’ 3-pointer to give the Knicks a six-point lead with 1:04 left. He was a big part of the Knicks crushing the Bulls on the glass, 48-31.
Former Nick Joakim, who played most of his career with the Bulls for Thibodeau, attended Noah Thibodeau’s pregame press conference. When Noah walked in, Thibodeau joked, “Late as always. … My man.”
Noah answered the last question of the media session.
“Are you going to Derrick’s wedding and not mine?” he asked, referring to his former Bulls teammate, Knicks guard Derrick Rose. The two then shared a big hug.
Ryan Arcidiacono (sprained left ankle) and Obi Toppin (right fibula) remain with the Knicks. …The Bulls were without Lonzo Ball (left knee) and Ayo Dosunmu (pelvic contusion). … Former Knicks and Bulls forward Charles Oakley took part.
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