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Knicks Fans Furious With Tom Thibodeau's Substitutions in Game 3 vs. Pacers

Thibs made some interesting decisions in the first half.

Mike Kadlick

Fans weren't happy with Thibs on Sunday night.
Fans weren't happy with Thibs on Sunday night. / David Butler II-Imagn Images
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The New York Knicks entered Sunday night's contest against the Indiana Pacers with their backs against the wall. Down 2–0 in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals series, they desperately need a win if they want to advance to their first NBA Finals since 1999.

Even still, head coach Tom Thibodeau—normally known for playing his stars to the brink no matter the circumstance—decided to toy with New York's lineup quite a bit in the first half. Not only did they opt to start Mitchell Robinson over Josh Hart, but at one point, the Knicks had both Delon White and Landry Shamet on the floor at the same time. For context, neither guard played a single minute in the team's Game 2 loss on Friday.

Naturally, with all of the lineup fluctuation in what just about everyone would consider a must-win game, fans were furious with Thibs—and took their frusrations out across social media. Here's a look at some of the best reactions across X (formerly Twitter):

New York enter the second half of Sunday's contest down 58–45 from Indiana's Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Jalen Brunson is leading the way with a team-high 11 points.

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Mike Kadlick
MIKE KADLICK

Mike Kadlick is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, he covered the New England Patriots for WEEI sports radio in Boston and continues to do so for CLNS Media. He has a master's in public relations from Boston University. Kadlick is also an avid runner and a proud lover of all things pizza.

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