In Game 5 against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Thibodeau benched All-Star forward Julius Randle the entire fourth quarter, riding a unit that gave the Knicks life to an 11- point series-clinching victory. And in Game 2 of his Knicks’ second-round playoff series against the Miami Heat at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, the head coach made an even bigger call.
For the second time in the last three games, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau has benched a key starter in crunch time.
In Game 5 against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Thibodeau benched All-Star forward Julius Randle the entire fourth quarter, riding a unit that gave the Knicks life to an 11-point series-clinching victory.
And in Game 2 of his Knicks’ second-round playoff series against the Miami Heat at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, the head coach made an even bigger call.
He subbed RJ Barrett out of the game late in the fourth quarter despite the fourth-year forward enjoying his hottest-shooting game of the entire season.
Barrett hit four of his first six three-pointers on Tuesday and shot five-of-nine from downtown on the night. He finished with 24 points on 8-of-17 shooting from the field and hit more threes than any Heat player, only out-done by six threes from his own teammate, Jalen Brunson.
