Tom Thibodeau praised NBA Clutch Player of the Year Jalen Brunson after his late three-pointer sealed the New York Knicks' series-clinching win over the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night.

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.

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.”