In the face of the New York Knicks fanbase’s strong clamor to replace Elfrid Payton in the starting unit, Tom Thibodeau has stuck with his guns.
Payton repaid Thibodeau’s unwavering trust on Wednesday night as the Knicks avenged their earlier loss to the Chicago Bulls with a 107-103 win in their rematch.
Redemption was the theme of the night for the Knicks.
Payton got out of his slump and aggressively attacked the Bulls’ defense right from the get-go. He unloaded 10 points in the opening quarter as the Knicks raced to as big as a 19-point lead.