"This is the Thibs special" - Knicks fans are livid at Tom Thibodeau after Julius Randle goes down injured in the fourth quarter
Julius Randle recently suffered a back injury at the hands of Jarrett Allen in Game 2 on Tuesday night. The injury occurred during the final three minutes of the game when the Cleveland Cavaliers had a commanding 103-80 lead. With only 2:24 remaining on the clock, the New York Knicks found a fast-break opportunity as they desperately tried to catch up.
However, it appears that keeping Julius Randle in the game wasn't the best idea. Fans are now furious at Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau for allowing Randle to play despite the impossible situation the team was in. At that point, many believed Thibodeau should've raised the white flag and called it a night. Unfortunately, he has a habit of keeping his star players on the court despite the gap between scores.
The last time one of Tom's star players got injured for unnecessarily staying on the floor was back in the 2012 NBA Playoffs. That was when Derrick Rose's career-changing injury took place. The Chicago Bulls had a commanding 99-87 lead with only a minute and a half left in the game. Rose was still on the floor and ultimately busted his left knee, which changed the course of his career forever.
New York Knicks fans are now calling Tom Thibodeau out on social media for his carelessness:
@G0CubsG0_ tweeted: "This is the Thibs special"
@TheNBACentral This is the Thibs special
Tom Thibodeau's questionable decision to keep Julius Randle has Knicks fans hating on him
The same situation happened in Game 2 between the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night. This time around, Thibodeau's team was trailing by more than 20 points as the game neared its conclusion. The Knicks coach decided to keep Julius Randle on the floor, which resulted in a back injury that also could've been avoided if he was benched.
Knicks fans are unhappy with his decision and are now expressing their thoughts toward the coach.
Here's what some of them had to say:
@nijigasakilove tweeted: "Clearly didn’t learn from d rose at all. And d rose is literally on the bench rn."
@TheNBACentral Clearly didn’t learn from d rose at all. And d rose is literally on the bench rn.
@Tytropolis tweeted: "bc he’s out of touch and can’t put his pride to the side"
@TheNBACentral bc he’s out of touch and can’t put his pride to the side
@Yankees_Heat_ tweeted: "He wants another Derrick Rose like injury"
@TheNBACentral He wants another Derrick Rose like injury
@Ad51603 tweeted: "Thibs leaving his stars in the game in garbage time to get injured"
@TheNBACentral Thibs leaving his stars in the game in garbage time to get injured https://t.co/nXsJwt3QjF
@lakeshowmarco tweeted: "Thibs when it comes to not subbing the stars out in a blowout"
@TheNBACentral Thibs when it comes to not subbing the stars out in a blowout https://t.co/mbUML5m9lo
@ChampagnePhilll tweeted: "He should be fired"
@TheNBACentral He should be fired
@dripboystew tweeted: "Thibs needs to learn Chinese the way he’s coaching"
@TheNBACentral Thibs needs to learn Chinese the way he’s coaching