It was only a week ago that the New York Knicks looked to be in striking position to earn the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference for the NBA Playoffs. Now, after losing to the Miami Heat on Tuesday night, their place in the standings is shaky.
New York is currently tied with the Orlando Magic, who own the tiebreaker, putting them in fifth place. They are only two games ahead of the Heat, who are currently in seventh place and the top position in the NBA Play-In Tournament.
A three-game skid has put the Knicks in this position. Their defense has not been as stingy recently, leading to teams either getting out to early leads or overcoming deficits late in the game.
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Tom Thibodeau & New York Knicks Updates
Another issue that has arisen is how the Knicks, specifically All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson, is being officiated. Head coach Tom Thibodeau finally had enough, as he voiced his frustrations after the game against Miami.
“It says 10 free throws, but he’s getting fouled. I hate to say it, it’s that simple. He’s getting fouled. He’s getting fouled. He’s getting fouled. He’s getting fouled. He’s getting fouled. He’s getting fouled,” Thibodeau said in his post-game press conference, via Knicks Videos on X.
Normally stoic and not willing to give much in the way of answers during pressers, this was a different side of Thibodeau. It is clear that he has not been happy with how some of the games have been officiated recently and he is sharing his displeasure.
Getting 10 free throw attempts in a game is a healthy number, but there are several other points in the game where Brunson looks to be getting hit that a foul could be called. It isn’t just missed calls on Brunson that are irking Thibodeau, as seemingly every 50/50 call or miss by a referee is negatively impacting his team.
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Tom Thibodeau & New York Knicks Updates
The Knicks have had the deck stacked against them throughout the 2023-24 NBA regular season because of injuries to key players on the team. With referees adjusting how they call games as things move along, New York has a razor-thin margin of error that they have been unable to overcome recently.
With seven games remaining in the regular season, the Knicks need to start racking up some wins. A daunting four-game road trip that begins this weekend will likely determine whether the team can avoid the NBA Play-In Tournament or not.
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