Tom Thibodeau offered a blunt assessment following the New York Knicks’ 115-93 defeat to the Boston Celtics in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at Madison Square Garden.
“We fell short today,” Thibodeau said postgame. “We have to take a good hard look at the film and then get ourselves ready for the next game.”
The Celtics built an early lead behind red-hot perimeter shooting, burying 20 three-pointers on 50% efficiency, which Thibodeau acknowledged played a critical role in the outcome.
“They got some clean looks early, and if they see it go in, that gives them confidence,” he said. “Then it’s hard to shut them off.”
New York’s defense struggled with communication throughout the game, an issue Thibodeau admitted he would have to evaluate further.
“Our communication—you got to be aggressive, you got to communicate well, and there has to be a second and third effort,” he said. “I would rather evaluate the film and then I’ll know.”
When asked why the team started flat, Thibodeau pointed to missed early shots as a possible factor that drained their energy and allowed Boston to seize momentum.
“We got in a hole early, and I thought that took some energy away from us,” he said. “You can’t allow missed shots to take away from defensive tenacity.”
The Knicks’ pick-and-roll defense was another area of concern, as Boston repeatedly exploited gaps to generate open looks.
“There’s going to be a lot of pick-and-rolls in a game,” Thibodeau said. “Was the scheme executed properly? Was it done with the proper amount of intensity?”
With Mitchell Robinson fouled intentionally to disrupt rhythm, Thibodeau said lineup decisions would depend on in-game impact.
“If he’s making, he stays. And if he’s not, we got to get him out,” he noted. “There’s a lot of factors that go into that.”
Despite the lopsided loss and a 1-3 postseason record at home, Thibodeau emphasized that location is not the root of the problem.
“We didn’t lose the game because we were at home,” he said. “We lost the game because we didn’t do enough things to win.”
Karl-Anthony Towns, who played through visible discomfort after a second-quarter collision, finished with 21 points and 15 rebounds on 5-of-18 shooting. Thibodeau downplayed the injury.
“It’s the playoffs. People are going to get hit, and you got to play through things,” he said. “No one’s playing 100%.”
With Game 4 looming Monday, Thibodeau stressed the importance of responding with urgency and collective toughness.
“You have to earn it,” he said. “It’s your defense, your rebounding, keeping your turnovers down. It’s competition—it’s imposing your will.”
