Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said during the NBA Finals last October he’d like to build a gritty defensive culture like Pat Riley’s Miami Heat.
Thibodeau has done an excellent job at trying to get there, but his Knicks still can’t beat the Heat.
Their three-game winning streak snapped, the Knicks allowed Miami to sweep the season series, 3-0, as Thibodeau’s favorite player, Jimmy Butler, led a second-half comeback with 27 points.
With Miami getting down and dirtier than the Knicks, the Heat powered to the 98-88 victory at the Garden.
It’s funny.