Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks goes up for a shot and is fouled by Derrick Rose of the New York Knicks in the first half during game three of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals at State Farm Arena on May 28, 2021. Credit: Getty Images/Todd Kirkland
ATLANTA —In his pregame media session Friday, Tom Thibodeau was asked about his starting lineup, if he would do what he did in the second half of Game 2: insert his longtime partners, Derrick Rose and Taj Gibson.
And with a straight face, he said, "Yeah, I’m still undecided."
You could have conceded him his preference if he’d stuck with Elfrid Payton, whom he had started all season long and through the first two postseason games.