Tom Thibodeau’s starting lineup change worked. In Games 1 and 2, the Knicks started in a hole because the starting five they had used most of the season was -29 in this series, and New York lost both games. For Sunday’s must-win game, New York moved Mitchell Robinson into the starting five — forming a two-bigs lineup with Karl-Anthony Towns — and moving Josh Hart to the bench. It worked in that the new starting five got the Knicks off to a 15-10 lead by playing better defense, with the Pacers shooting 2-of-8 to open the game. For the game, the new starting five was +1 in 13 minutes (the old starting five played a little more than five minutes together in this game and was -9).
It also wasn’t Thibodeau’s starting lineup. Josh Hart said postgame he suggested the idea, here’s his quote via the New York Daily News.
“It was something that I’ve had in the back of my mind, and I’ve always wanted to do. Down 0-2, especially with how [Robinson] played last game, that was something that we had to do. And obviously that’s a group decision that really boils down to Thibs and myself…
“It was never going to be a tough day for me because I had a hand in that decision. When I’m in a decision like that and kind of got the ball rolling on that, it was funny. Y’all [the media] are scrambling, trying to get answers, and I never really cared because it was kind of my decision. I was comfortable with it.”
Not getting into a hole to start the game didn’t mean the Knicks avoided the hole altogether, they were still down 20 in the second quarter as the Pacers still found plenty of lineup advantages once the benches came into play. However, Karl-Anthony Towns took over in the fourth and saved the Knicks’ season.
Expect the new starting lineup to be back for Game 2, but also expect some Pacers adjustments in how they attack it. Still, it will be an advantage if the new starting five can keep New York out of a hole to open the game.
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