Tom Thibodeau giving key Knicks rest days down closing stretch

For the past two games, the Knicks were as deep and healthy as they had been all season.Even Tom Thibodeau appears willing to bend his core principles to help ensure that is the case when the playoffs begin.Prior to Thursday’s game against the Pistons, their likely first-round opponent, the Knicks announced OG Anunoby (right thumb sprain), Josh Hart (right knee patellofemoral syndrome) and Mitchell Robinson (left ankle surgery injury recovery) will sit out the matchup.In Tuesday’s overtime loss to the Celtics, Anunoby (41 minutes) and Hart (48 minutes) saw their most action, respectively, in roughly a month.The Knicks (50-29), who need just one win or one Pacers loss to secure the No.

3 seed in the East, could be expected to sit other key contributors (including Jalen Brunson) with a home game scheduled the following day against the Cavaliers — who could also rest multiple players after clinching the top seed — and Sunday’s regular-season finale in Brooklyn.The Pistons (43-36) look certain to end up as the No.6 seed after losing four of their past five games, with the magic number for the Bucks (45-34) down to two — any combination of Milwaukee wins/Detroit losses — to lock up the No.

5 seed.The Bucks host the lowly Pelicans on Thursday, before closing the regular season with a home-and-home set against the Pistons.After failing their latest test against the defending champs, the Knicks could get another crack at Boston in Round 2.Even discounting the games during Brunson’s absence, the Knicks have won just one of their past six games against teams over .500 with the All-NBA guard in action and have gone 3-17 against teams with a winning record and a top 10 defense.

The Knicks are 1-2 against the Pistons this season.Detroit won a pair of meetings at Madison Square Garden, following the Knicks’ 30-point win in Detroit on Nov.

1.In Detroit’s wins, soon-to-be All-NBA selection Cade Cunningham proved to be a nightmare matchup, posting a triple-do...