MIAMI — Tom Thibodeau didn’t have to talk to RJ Barrett about his decision to sit him down the stretch in the Knicks’ Game 2 victory on Tuesday.
Barrett understood the reasoning, despite continuing to play well in the win.
“We won the game. That was the lineup that was able to take the lead,” Barrett said after Friday’s practice. “That’s what happened that night, and we won. So I’m happy.”
Barrett is in the midst of an impressive stretch, five straight playoff games in which he has scored at least 19 points.
In that time, he is averaging 23.2 points, 5.6 assists, 5.4 rebounds, and shooting 50 percent from the field.
He’s also shooting the 3 well after struggling from distance during the regular season, going 11-for-30 over these last five games.
In this series against the Heat, Barrett has been particularly effective in the first half, scoring 13 points in Game 1 and 19 in Game 2 in the first 24 minutes.
“I’m just playing, whatever shots are there, I’m just trying to be aggressive from the beginning and read the defense,” he said. “We have Jalen [Brunson] and Julius [Randle] out there also who draw a lot of attention as well, so whenever I can be that guy to put pressure on the defense, it helps.”
Follow The Post’s coverage of the Knicks vs. Heat NBA playoff series
- Vaccaro: Knicks’ failure to help Brunson is why their season’s over
- Knicks battle but fall in season-ending Game 6 loss to Heat
- Knicks couldn’t survive two minutes without Brunson
- Brunson’s heroic night spoiled by late turnover
The Knicks don’t seem concerned with Immanuel Quickley’s struggles this postseason, believing it is only a matter of time until the super-sub gets going.
The Sixth Man of the Year runner-up hasn’t been the same player in the playoffs, averaging just 8.6 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists while shooting 35.2 percent from the field in only 22.1 minutes.
He was on the floor for only nine minutes in Game 2.
“Quick’s a shotmaker, so I don’t want him second-guessing himself, and I know he won’t,” Thibodeau said. “No player is going to shoot great every game. He knows how to put the ball in the basket.”