ATLANTA — Tom Thibodeau is no longer a figure in Pat Riley’s rearview. The Knicks’ head coach just passed him on the road.
With Saturday’s 121-105 win over the Hawks, Thibodeau recorded his 224th victory at the helm in New York — moving past Riley for fourth on the franchise’s all-time coaching wins list.
He didn’t take a victory lap. He rarely does. Instead, Thibodeau credited the people around him — his players, his staff, and the organization — for making the milestone possible.
“I’ve had a great team. I’ve got great players. It’s a great organization, so you share in all that stuff as a group,” he said. “As far as Pat Riley, he’s unbelievable. Probably the best to ever do it.”
The next rung on the ladder is Jeff Van Gundy, Thibodeau’s longtime friend, who sits in third place with 248 wins. Joe Lapchick is second with 326. Red Holzman’s record of 613 — the gold standard of Knicks coaching — may remain untouched for generations.
“I was fortunate to be with Jeff, and Jeff I put up there with anybody,” Thibodeau said. “Those guys had great impact on my coaching philosophy. Of course Red Holzman and all the guys that have been here. It’s an honor to be the coach here.”
Asked if he considers himself a product of Riley’s legendary coaching tree, Thibodeau offered a self-deprecating grin.
“I’m a mutt,” he said, laughing. “I’ve been around a lot of people that have had great influence on me. Obviously the head coaches, but a lot of assistant coaches have had great impact on me as well.”
He rattled off names — Ron Adams, Brendan Malone, Steve Clifford, Andy Greer, Jeff Nix, Don Chaney. And not just them, but the people they learned from, too.
“Brendan Malone worked for Hubie Brown and Chuck Daly. Jeff worked for Pat Riley, Don Nelson, John MacLeod, Rick Pitino. You’re stealing from everybody,” he said. “I’ve been around some of the all-time greats in the history of the game, and that’s good fortune for me.”
Thibodeau’s no-nonsense reputation often overshadows his consistency. But his current players see it — and appreciate it.
“It’s dope. It’s a tribute to the talent that he has in terms of coaching and success,” said Josh Hart. “It also shows the stability the franchise has with him — and needs with him. A great accomplishment, and hopefully we keep going up.”
When asked what separates Thibodeau from other coaches he’s played for, Hart didn’t hesitate.
“His preparation is top tier,” he said. Then, with a grin: “Sometimes we’d like him to get out of the office and enjoy life a little bit. He has an amazing house, so sometimes we’d like him to at least go home and enjoy his house.
“But just the preparation, his dedication to excellence and the process — he doesn’t believe winning starts at 7:30 when the game starts. He believes winning starts in the summer.”
NO TRIPLE-DOUBLE TODAY
Hart came within a single rebound of recording his 10th triple-double of the season. He finished with 16 points, 11 assists, and nine rebounds before Thibodeau subbed him out with 1:33 left in the fourth quarter.
It wasn’t a statistical oversight — it was a deliberate decision. One Thibodeau knew would come at a cost either way.
“He had a terrific game,” the coach said. “And obviously, for me, that’s a no-win situation. Because if I leave him in, he’s going to be upset about that. And if I take him out, he’s going to be upset about that. So I said, ‘Ah, what the hell?’ I’ll take him out.”
Hart admitted he was hunting for that last board — and maybe tried a little too hard.
“That’s exactly what I was tryna do,” he said with a grin. “I wanted to stay in to get the last one, but I wasn’t playing the game the right way. I was trying to play for that [triple-double]. I didn’t really deserve it, and that’s probably why I didn’t get it. I was playing the game the wrong way at that point, so it is what it is.”
LEAVE IT TO OG
The Knicks led by 27 with just over six minutes left in the fourth quarter when Mikal Bridges intentionally fouled to get himself subbed out. He thought the bench unit would finish the game.
He thought wrong.
Instead, Thibodeau took Bridges out — but reinserted OG Anunoby.
“I knew I might come back in,” he said with a laugh. “I always want to play.”
BACK TO BACK
The Knicks wrap up their second-to-last back-to-back of the season with a Sunday matchup against Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns at Madison Square Garden.
“Try to recover the best you can, try to sleep the best you can,” Anunoby said. “And in the morning, just see how it goes.”
