Tom Thibodeau on Karl Anthony Towns Sitting Late Were Searching For A Win

New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns sat for most of the fourth quarter with his team trailing Game 2 against the Indiana Pacers. Towns subbed out with 9:00 to play in the final period and didn’t return until there was 2:25 remaining and the Knicks were down by nine points. Postgame, New York coach Tom Thibodeau said he went with a lineup that he felt gave his team the best chance at winning.

“Just, we got in a hole, and then the group that was in there gave us a chance,” Thibodeau said. “So we were just riding (that lineup). We’re searching for a win.”

When asked about it himself, Towns was more upset about falling behind 0-2 with the series shifting to Indiana.

“It’s tough to lose, anyway,” Towns said. “So we just gotta regroup together for the next one.”

This is the second game in a row where Towns wasn’t on the floor during crucial fourth quarter minutes. In Game 1, Towns sat for a long stretch, and then was part of a offense-defense rotation with Mitchell Robinson late in the game.