{"id":256166,"date":"2021-05-22T04:07:01","date_gmt":"2021-05-22T01:07:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/tom-thibodeau-responds-to-hawks-nba-doesnt-favor-us\/"},"modified":"2021-05-22T04:07:01","modified_gmt":"2021-05-22T01:07:01","slug":"tom-thibodeau-responds-to-hawks-nba-doesnt-favor-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/tom-thibodeau-responds-to-hawks-nba-doesnt-favor-us\/","title":{"rendered":"#Tom Thibodeau responds to Hawks: NBA doesn’t favor us"},"content":{"rendered":"

“#Tom Thibodeau responds to Hawks: NBA doesn’t favor us<\/strong>”<\/p>\n

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Tom Thibodeau had a first-hand memory ready when asked Friday if he agreed with Hawks coach Nate McMillan\u2019s assessment earlier this week that the NBA \u201cwants and needs\u201d the Knicks in the playoffs.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know a lot of times people think that. I\u2019ve been here, I\u2019ve been part of the Knicks before, been an opposing coach, been with different organizations. The league is going to do what is best for the league,\u201d Thibodeau said. \u201cYou can say that, but [in] \u201996-97\u2026we had [five] guys get suspended [in a playoff series<\/a> against Miami].<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had Patrick Ewing took a step off the bench, it wiped him out and that was our chance probably for a championship. I don\u2019t think the league favors us. I think the playoffs heighten everything. You\u2019re fighting the same opponent over and over again. We just want to focus on what we have to do for game<\/a> one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thibodeau was referring to a Game 5 brawl against the Heat in the second round of the 1997 playoffs, a series in which the Knicks blew a 3-1 lead and lost in seven games.<\/p>\n

McMillan was fined $25,000 \u201cfor detrimental public comments asserting bias by the NBA,\u201d although he insisted Friday he didn\u2019t intend to \u201csuggest any type of bias as it relates to the league and our upcoming playoff series.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Tom Thibodeau didn\u2019t agree with the idea that the NBA favors the Knicks.<\/figcaption>
AP Photo<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Thibodeau and the coaching staff gave the Knicks two books of in-depth scouting and game-planning information to study at home with a week off between games ahead of Sunday\u2019s playoff opener.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s actually kind of funny, me and Obi [Toppin] were like it kind of reminds us of school,\u201d rookie Immanuel Quickley said. \u201cThe other day we got into small groups and it was almost like we had class. So we were joking with each other that it was kind of like school all over again.\u201d<\/p>\n