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Kenny Smith Lands Perfect Joke About Tom Thibodeau After Knicks' Rough First Half

Ryan Phillips

New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Indiana Pacers.
New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Indiana Pacers. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
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Kenny Smith had the line of the night during the New York Knicks' matchup with the Indiana Pacers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals.

As New York trailed 58–45 at the half, the NBA on TNT crew was breaking down what had been a brutal first 24 minutes for the Knicks. Smith took aim at coach Tom Thibodeau's substitution patterns, which had been very different in Game 3 as New York dealt with Indiana's depth. He quipped, "Thibodeau wouldn't play nine guys in a baseball game."

Video is below.

Yikes.

The Pacers have rolled with 10 players in Game 3 and the Knicks have had to answer with nine of their own. Thibodeau has long preferred tight rotations and leans on playing his starters far more than other coaches.

Smith burned him with a great line as the Knicks are staring a 3–0 deficit in the series right in the face.

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Ryan Phillips
RYAN PHILLIPS

Ryan Phillips is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in digital media since 2009, spending eight years at The Big Lead before joining SI in 2024. Phillips also co-hosts The Assembly Call Podcast about Indiana Hoosiers basketball and previously worked at Bleacher Report. He is a proud San Diego native and a graduate of Indiana University’s journalism program.

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