Nobody has a clear-cut good reply for why Karl-Anthony Cities was benched.
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau mentioned postgame he was “searching for a way to win” whereas making an attempt a late comeback. Maybe the pinnacle coach simply favored Mitchell Robinson, who almost wrecked Friday’s Sport 2 along with his regular relentless rebounding. And NBA gamblers on-line argued that Cities, who had 20 factors getting into the fourth, was saved out in a scheme to discourage the star from hitting the over on his level totals.
For no matter purpose, Thibodeau benched Cities for six minutes and 35 seconds of the fourth quarter — starting on the nine-minute mark — whereas the Knicks fell wanting a comeback try in Friday’s 114-109 loss at Madison Sq. Backyard.
Thibodeau most well-liked Robinson over the offensively-gifted Cities for a majority of the quarter. The benching rendered Cities ineffective as he watched his workforce ultimately go down, 2-0, within the sequence to the Indiana Pacers.
“It’s tough to lose any way,” Cities mentioned when requested concerning the time on the bench. “So we’ve just got to regroup together for the next one.”
The Knicks entered the fourth quarter tied then trailed by 9 when Cities exited on the nine-minute mark. Earlier than that time, Cities had success scoring in spurts in opposition to the Pacers.
TOWNS 3-BALL.
MSG ERUPTS.
Excessive-energy motion in Sport 2 on TNT! pic.twitter.com/SpS7BNhpYU
He scored 10 factors within the first six minutes of the second quarter, headlined by a contested trey over Indiana’s Myles Turner after corralling Duece McBride’s misfire.
The star massive then offered 5 extra factors in as many minutes within the third quarter whereas the Knicks fought to maintain the sport inside a one possession recreation. He ultimately shot 6-of-14 from the sector (2-of-5 from deep) to go together with seven rebounds in Sport 2.
Then got here the fourth quarter when the Knicks misplaced management of the sport and prompted Thibodeau to maneuver Cities to the bench. The Knicks entered the fourth tied, 81-81, and after simply three minutes, trailed 94-85. Cities was subbed out for Jalen Brunson, who joined Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and Robinson. That lineup stopped the bleeding, enjoying the Pacers even over the following six and a half minutes till Cities returned for the ultimate 2:25.
“We got in a hole and then the group that was in there gave us a chance, so we just were riding that,” Thibodeau defined.
Cities loved the identical sort of scoring spurts in the course of the Sport 1 loss like he did in Sport 2. The extra evident problem in Sport 1 — and prior video games within the 2025 postseason — was the workforce not having the All-Star massive concerned whereas he was on the ground. However, Cities nonetheless completed with a powerful statline within the Sport 1 loss: 35 factors, 12 rebounds and two assists.
You may level to a few of Cities’ poor pick-and-slip protection as the rationale he sat for therefore lengthy in Sport 2, contemplating Robinson performed properly on that facet of the ball. The Pacers usually search to attract Cities on a guard in these conditions to place the large in house on the perimeter.
However Cities, at instances, performed above his stage when in house Friday, particularly on Pacers All-Star Tyrese Haliburton. Cities’ teammates are sometimes pressured to rotate or watch guards get open seems to be with the large pressured to defend isolation one-on-one performs.
In Sport 2, Cities moved his ft, stayed in entrance of Haliburton and compelled misses on the perimeter. It contributed to Haliburton’s shaky evening: 14 factors on 5-of-16 capturing.
“We need him to be aggressive offensively. We need him to be locked in and communicate defensively,” mentioned teammate Josh Hart. “That’s all we need from him. We need him to communicate at a high level. Offensively, be aggressive, get to his spots, get deep post position, and use his talent offensively. Defensively, be locked in, communicate at a high level and be an anchor for us.”
