"Thibs is a monster": Tom Thibodeau faces Knicks fans' ire after Jalen Brunson suffers unlucky injury in garbage time 

New York Knicks fans wasted no time expressing their frustration with head coach Tom Thibodeau after Jalen Brunson's unlucky injury vs Boston Celtics on Friday. Brunson injured his ankle in garbage time with the Knicks down 12 points and in no position to make a comeback with only 20 seconds left.

The decision to leave the Knicks starters in the game baffled the Knicks' fanbase, resulting in Brunson's injury. The starting point guard, who is the team's best player this season, rolled his ankle after inadvertently stepping on Payton Pritchard's foot while trying to free himself up to get the ball on an inbounds pass.

Tom Thibodeau's traditional coaching methods of being excessively hard on his players, not calling timeouts and overplaying them in dead minutes have been questioned time and again. He was under fire from Knicks fans after the freakish incident with Brunson.

The Knicks are already subpar without Jalen Brunson, which saw fans raging at the team's head coach:

"Brunson just tweaked his ankle with 20 seconds left in a game where they’re down 12… Thibs is a monster," one fan wrote.

More reactions followed on X:

Tom Thibodeau had no regrets leaving Jalen Brunson in the game

In a shocking turn of events, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said he has no regrets about leaving Jalen Brunson in the game despite his unfortunate ankle injury. Thibodeau said he hadn't heard from the player about the injury.

It would be a big blow for the Knicks if Brunson misses significant time. He is averaging 24.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game, shooting on 47/46/81 splits. He has played all 20 games for the team. Brunson's a crucial reason why the Knicks are 12-9.

New York is fifth in the Eastern Conference and poised to make another playoff appearance with how things look in their division. However, the team is yet to be tested without Brunson in the lineup.

He has been the key architect of their success since last season, so Thibodeau's decision to leave him in the game amid his recent injury setback could prove costly.

Their issues against strong opponents are well out there, even with Brunson. Friday's 133-123 loss to the Celtics sums up New York's season. The Knicks held up offensively, but their efficient defense failed to show up against a top opponent again.

They endured a dismal 146-124 loss against the Milwaukee Bucks in the In-Season Tournament quarterfinals before the game against the Celtics.