NEW York Knicks fans begged coach Tom Thibodeau to replace Jalen Brunson as his team dropped more than 30 points in Game 4 against the Indiana Pacers.
The 66-year-old Connecticut native is known for playing extremely tight rotations in the NBA playoffs.
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Thibodeau’s reluctance to rest starters was perfectly exemplified by the fact that Josh Hart didn’t leave the court in the Eastern Conference semifinals until Friday’s 111-106 Game 3 loss.
But Brunson, 27, was injured early in the second-round series.
The 6-foot-1 guard struggled with foot pain in Game 2, which caused him to miss the entire second quarter of the matchup.
He was then listed as questionable for the next matchup before being made available and recording 16 points in 38 minutes as the Pacers cut their series lead to 2-1 on Friday.
The All-Star guard was off the Game 4 injury report.
But Indiana defeated New York on Sunday, taking a nearly 40-point lead late in the third quarter.
It appeared Thibodeau had a chance to give Brunson a rest before the series returned to Madison Square Garden for Game 5 on Tuesday.
But the Knicks star was still on the court with the Pacers up 37 points, causing fury from the team’s fans on social media.
“Tom Thibodeau faces challenge 35 (impossible),” wrote one.
“Tom Thibodeau leaving Jalen Brunson with 37 points for a series that will be decided mainly by fatigue/depth,” added another.
“I would walk into the fire for Tom Thibodeau. But what he is doing now is almost criminal,” said a third.
“Why is Tom Thibodeau doing this to Brunson, he obviously needs to rest,” one wrote.
Brunson finally left the game with 2:32 left in the third quarter and never returned.
He finished the game with 18 points, three rebounds, five assists and two steals.
NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs
First round
Boston Celtics (1) 4-1 Miami Heat (8)
Cleveland Cavaliers (4) 4-3 Orlando Magic (5)
Milwaukee Bucks (3) 2-4 Indiana Pacers (6)
New York Knicks (2) 4-2 Philadelphia 76ers (7)
Conference Semifinals
Boston Celtics (1) x Cleveland Cavaliers (4)
Indiana Pacers (6) x New York Knicks (2)
Indiana ended up winning 121-89 to tie the series at 2-2.
The Knicks are badly shaken as the Eastern Conference Semifinals progress.
They already entered the postseason without star forward Julius Randle, who has been sidelined since January and suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in April.
Then, New York lost sharpshooter Bojan Bogdanovic and center Mitchell Robinson for the remainder of the campaign.
Additionally, defensive anchor OG Anunoby suffered a hamstring strain in Game 2 against the Pacers.
The forward missed the next two games and his availability for Game 5 is uncertain.
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