NEW YORK — Tom Thibodeau expected a furious charge from a Detroit Pistons team with its collective back against the wall in Game 5, but — and you’re not going to believe this — he insisted that neither he nor his New York Knicks were going to change their approach.
Yes, Thibs allowed before tipoff on Tuesday, the closeout game is the hardest one in any series — with all due respect to Andrew Bynum — because “you know you’re going to get great intensity in the game.” And that kind of challenge demands a redoubling of your own efforts: more intensity, more intelligence, more togetherness.