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Almost every time the New York Knicks have played an elite team this season, it hasn't ended well for them. Despite that, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau doesn't seem the least bit concerned. After Thibodeau was blasted for putting Karl-Anthony Towns back into Sunday's blowout loss against the Boston Celtics, he tried to salvage what was an otherwise forgettable game.
Following the game, he explained via ESPN's Tim Bontemps why his team is struggling against the best of the best.
“It's probably a combination of things,” Thibodeau said of New York's struggles defensively against elite teams. “One, they're elite, and I think the volume 3- shooting teams, you can do a good job, but it just takes two or three minutes of not getting it right, and they can go on a run on you.”
“So it's something that we got to continue to work on, and that's the test of the league. So learn from each game, and get ready for the next one. And that's where we want to focus on.”
Even with a 37-20 record, their record doesn't seem to paint the full picture. The last three times the Knicks played the Celtics or Cleveland Cavaliers, it hasn't ended well. For instance, the Celtics dropped 131 points on them before the All-Star break and posted 118 on Sunday.
One game before facing Boston, the Cavaliers scored 142 points. Although the Knicks were dealing with injuries, losing by 37 points is inexcusable for a team that is trying to win a title.
Tom Thibodeau sees the Knicks improving vs. elite teams
The numbers don't fully support the argument, but the confidence remains there. The Knicks have beaten the lower-tier teams in the NBA with ease. Still, not securing wins against the elite teams in the league isn't a good sign. Not to mention, the majority of those losses have been blowouts. They haven't been particularly close.
Luckily though, it hasn't only been Thibodeau who has supported his team. For instance, Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell gave the Knicks their flowers, despite the playoff rivalry. When healthy, New York has some of the best offensive firepower in the league. As of writing this, they are fourth in offensive rating.
Towns has been a blessing in his first season with the team, and Jalen Brunson has continued to improve as a playmaker as the year has gone on. The Knicks should be able to eventually get out of their slump, but they still need to figure out a way to beat the elite teams. Having struggles like these are permitted in the regular season, but not come playoff time.
