Tom Thibodeau is outcoaching Joe Mazzulla — and making Knicks hot seat talk seem laughable

BOSTON — Persistent speculation had Tom Thibodeau’s seat on fire if the Knicks disappointed in these playoffs.

Was it rooted in reality? Who knows. If you’re trying to predict James Dolan’s course of action after elimination, good luck. Talking heads needed a topic to generate pre-emptive anger and the coach is the easiest target, especially when the roster is constructed without much maneuverability.

Unfortunately, we’ve been conditioned to expect disappointment from the Knicks. It’s a default emotion that’s hard to kick after the tumultuous first 20 years of B.B. (Before Brunson).

So for Thibs, the assumed bar was a first-round victory over the Pistons and a competitive series against the mighty Celtics. And if that’s true, Thibodeau officially cleared it with Wednesday’s 91-90 victory over the Celtics.