Knicks' Tom Thibodeau just wants to see consistency in NBA officiating
Tom Thibodeau of the Knicks reacts in the second half against the Pistons at Madison Square Garden on Monday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
When the NBA issued its last two-minute report Tuesday afternoon it confirmed the pool report from the postgame interview with crew chief James Williams that a loose ball foul should have been called on Donte DiVincenzo in the closing seconds before the Knicks pulled off an unlikely victory. But like the postgame correction two weeks when the Knicks lost in Houston, it does little to sooth the feelings of the coach.
“No, that's the whole thing, that's part of the league,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “Not every call is going to be correct. The thing you like about the league, you see the transparency of it all, the last two-minute report. Not every call is perfect. I said this [Monday] night, it was a physical game both ways . . . and I’m just looking for consistency. As long as it’s called the same way for both teams I’m not complaining about anything.”
More injury news
Isaiah Hartenstein was held out with left Achilles tendinopathy, the same injury that sidelined him in January and again this month. On a back-to-back set, he played just 26 minutes Monday, but has been ramping up after sitting out three straight games.
“Just where we are in the season we thought the smart thing was take tonight off, get rest, do your recovery,” Thibodeau said. “That’s where we are with that. Came in and we knew it would be limited. We wanted to see where he was. OK, where we are right now it’s better — he’s ramping things up again. That’s where we are with that.”
Thibodeau said that OG Anunoby, who underwent a surgical procedure on his right elbow on Feb. 8, has not yet begun shooting.
Pelicans have Zion in, point guards out
The Pelicans were without CJ McCollum (ankle) and Jose Alvarado, who was serving a three-game suspension for his role in the fight against the Miami Heat last week. But Zion Williamson was in the starting lineup for just his second professional game at Madison Square Garden.
“They’ve got great versatility,” Thibodeau said of the Pelicans forced to play without their starting and backup point guards. “When you look at their team, Zion has the ability to bring it up, [Brandon] Ingram is terrific. People probably overlook Herb Jones, he’s a terrific player, he’s an all-around basketball player, he's a terrific player. He does everything well. He’s got great vision, he can run the point, he sees over people. Ingram, same thing, with his size he can pass over people. And Zion’s incredibly unselfish as well. They're strong on both sides of the ball. Throw in [Jonas] Valanciunas and what he brings. Their defense is terrific.”
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
