Did beating the Boston Celtics actually cost coach Tom Thibodeau his job with the New York Knicks? Such a point of view might sound a bit absurd at first glance, but when you take a deeper dive into the concept being floated in such a statement, there is a case to be made that this could be true.

The New York Knicks have fired head coach Tom Thibodeau, the team announced Tuesday. The decision comes three days after the Knicks were eliminated in the Eastern Conference finals by the Indiana Pacers in six games.

Tom Thibodeau led the New York Knicks to their best season since 2000, yet he still got fired. While the Knicks surely had championship aspirations, they didn’t fall too far short of their goals, especially considering they had just swung a blockbuster trade for Karl-Anthony Towns right before the season tipped off.