As a former NBA big man himself, Shaquille O'Neal often focuses on how the 7ft center is performing in a game. Last season it was Nikola Jokic, now it's Karl-Anthony Towns. During the Knicks' Game 3 battle with the Pacers, Shaq voiced his issies with the way Karl-Anthony Towns was playing.
He said, "You know when KAT is at the No. 5 spot, he can be a dual threat, he can play inside and outside. Chuck and I prefer him to play inside, but you still got to be aggressive. You're down 0-2, Chuck said it before the game; you need desperation out here. Things like this should never happen. 6'11 right here, right at the basket, you've got to make this, you've got to play with force. He's not playing well, this shot right here, (Barkley shouts "What the hell was that?" from behind), we'd be fighting in the locker room right now. We're down 0-2, and you're taking 35-footers and missed this shot right here."
Karl-Anthony Towns started the Eastern Conference Finals very strongly, arguably with his best performance of the Playoffs this season with 35 points in Game 1. In Game 2, however, Tom Thibodeau benched him in the fourth quarter, despite a strong game. That seems to have now taken a hit on his confidence. After 20 points in Game 2, Towns only had 4 points in the first three quarters of Game 3. It was this performance from Towns that made O'Neal and Barkley very unhappy.
Towns finished the game with 24 points. Towns woke up in the fourth quarter and started with a three-point bomb and an emphatic dunk with a little over 7 minutes left in the game to take the lead for the Knicks after being down as many as 20 points. He eventually dropped 20 points in the final quarter as the Knicks rallied back to take the lead in Game 3. The Knicks won the game 106-100 to make the series 2-1.
Tom Thibodeau's Baffling Coaching Moves
The Knicks have reached this position arguably due to Tom Thibodeau's questionable coaching strategies. From benching key players like Karl-Anthony Towns down the stretch to benching important starters like Josh Hart just for the size of Mitchell Robinson, Thibodeau's moves have shaken up Knicks fans to the core. Even today, Jalen Brunson, with five fouls, was sitting on the bench for most of the final quarter. He may have only played 2-3 minutes in the most clutch moment of the game.
Thibodeau is known for overexerting his players beyond the point of necessity as well. While is some cases it may end up being helpful, it some cases it has also ended up costing players severely. From Derrick Rose to Jimmy Butler, several players have suffered severe injuries due to Thibodeau's intense strategies. If the Knicks end up losing this series, Thibodeau may be fearing for his job.
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