To be fair to Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau, it was a dicey situation as the seconds wore down at the end of Game 5 at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday. He had just one timeout left and in a tight game against the Pistons, one that could be a close-out if the Knicks (leading the series, 3-1 entering the game) could finish the job.

The New York coach faced heavy criticism after a narrow loss to the Pistons, where a timeout decision kept Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart sidelined during a crucial stretch.

It was the defining decision of Tuesday’s 106-103 Knicks defeat to the Pistons, confounding as it unfolded and explained afterwards by Tom Thibodeau as, simply, “coach’s decision.”