The New York Knicks played a hard-fought game against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday, but New York was unable to come away with the win. The tough matchup sparked some tensions on the sidelines between Josh Hart and head coach Tom Thibodeau.
Knicks’ Josh Hart and Tom Thibodeau deny any bad blood after heated sideline exchange
Broadcast cameras spotted the two shouting at each other clearly in disagreement over what was being discussed in the huddle. It was a microcosm of what had been a frustrating road trip for the Knicks in which they went just 2-3.
However, Hart and Thibodeau downplayed any bad blood between them and attributed it simply to basketball.
“You all know me. You know my feelings towards Thibs,” Hart said, per Steve Popper of Newsday. “You’re not going to find a more loyal player. I love Thibs. I think that was just my frustration coming out with the flow of the game, my own individual performance.”
Thibodeau added that he loves Josh on the court and was focused on trying to get his team fired up. The effort nearly worked, as the Knicks made a nice fourth-quarter comeback to tie the game at 88 with just over two minutes left in the game, but a cold spell to close it out led to their demise.
The Knicks need to stay focused to finish the season
The night was a massive struggle for Hart, as he went scoreless in his 39 minutes of action and shot 0-for-7 from the field. The last thing the Knicks need right now is for the players and coaches to not be on the same page, as they need to stick together with Jalen Brunson out until the playoffs come.
It was not the first time this week that Thibodeau seemed to not be on the same page as the players. Before their game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday, Mikal Bridges said that he expressed his desire for the bench to play more minutes, to which Thibodeau denied such a conversation occurred.
Nevertheless, the Knicks have an important task at hand as they look to close the season out strong. They play the Miami Heat at Madison Square Garden on Monday.