Knicks' Tom Thibodeau Praises Team After Season-Ending Loss

The New York Knicks struggled mightily with injuries in their loss against the Indiana Pacers.

Mar 31, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau looks on during the | John Jones-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Knicks endured bumps and bruises all year long, and it culminated in a Game 7 loss against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday afternoon at Madison Square Garden.

After losing Julius Randle in the regular season and Bojan Bogdanovic and Mitchell Robinson earlier in the playoffs, the Knicks appeared to fall apart at the seams in Game 7, losing OG Anunoby early in the game due to his lingering hamstring injury and Jalen Brunson with a fractured hand in the third quarter.

"I thought [the] guys gave everything they had, and that's all you can ask for," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "It was a battle all year, there was nothing left to give at the end."

Given how beat up the Knicks were, it's commendable that they made it as far as they did. However, it wasn't enough to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. That being said, the Knicks put up a hell of a fight.

"The only thing you can ask for is everyone puts forth their best effort," Thibodeau said. "And we got that all year from these guys. A lot of teams I think would've folded. They didn't."

Losing in Game 7 sucks. There's no sugar-coating it. The Knicks were hosting Game 7 and couldn't finish the job against the Pacers. While there may be some understanding to the loss given how injured they were, the Knicks won't feel any less pain when they are watching the rest of the playoffs from home recovering from their wounds. They will have to channel that energy into next year's run in hopes of a healthier and more successful team.

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