Charles Barkley Describes Tom Thibodeau's Playing Rotation in 3 Words After Knicks' Victory

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nick Meyer | Last updated May 26, 2025 4:06 AM ET

The New York Knicks overcame a 20-point deficit to defeat the Indiana Pacers on the road Sunday night, bringing the series' total to two games to one in favor of the Pacers.

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau caught flack at halftime as he was sharply questioned by Inside the NBA commentator Kenny Smith.

Smith joked about Thibodeau not playing enough players during a time when New York's rotation essentially went eight men deep, with guard Miles McBride accounting for a single minute of play.

Following the game, fellow analyst Charles Barkley shared his thoughts on Thibodeau's rotation, using three colorful words to describe it.

"Your bench technically won this game for y'all tonight," Barkley said to Knicks guard Jalen Brunson in a postgame interview.

"You got to admit it's kinda damn wacky," he added.

"Ooh I had a great comeback, but let me stop," Brunson responded in a comical video shared to X on Sunday night.

Chuck: "Your bench technically won this game for y'all tonight. You got to admit it's kinda damn wacky"

Jalen: "Ooh I had a great comeback, but I'm let me stop" pic.twitter.com/ikKhe9HZkg
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) May 26, 2025

The Knicks ceded 10 points to Pacers backup point guard TJ McConnell in the first half before turning up the heat in the second half.

Karl Anthony-Towns' 20 fourth quarter points paved the way to victory as the Knicks gave their fans hope for a comeback in the series with Game 4 set for Tuesday, May 27 in Indianapolis.

Thibodeau emptied out the bench in the second half.

Nine Knicks players each finished with 10 minutes or more of playing, helping to inject a breath of fresh air and energetic play into a team that had been lacking in those departments.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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