Steve Clifford and Tom Thibodeau’s friendship goes back decades, the two serving as assistant coaches rising together in the NBA on the staffs in New York and Houston before each went on to become a head coach. So the Orlando Magic coach was certainly sincere as he praised Thibodeau and the Knicks before Wednesday night’s game began.
He wasn’t posturing or softening Thibodeau up. But he provided a simple scouting report for the Knicks under Thibodeau.
"I would say they’d be one of the teams people don’t want to play against," Clifford said. "They defend every night.