Thibodeau favorite Gibson proving his worth

The NBA doesn’t hand out assists for a steal, but Taj Gibson would have earned one on Reggie Bullock’s game-saving swipe in the final seconds of the Knicks’ one-point victory Thursday over the Magic.

Gibson initially switched off a pick to make Evan Fournier pick up his dribble before the Orlando guard’s attempted pass was intercepted by Bullock, who fed Alec Burks to dribble out the clock.

“I don’t care how we do it. I just want to win. Just find a way to win. And if it calls for making five stops in a row, that’s what you have to do. If it calls for scoring five times in a row, that’s what you have to do,” coach Tom Thibodeau said after his Knicks improved to 21-21. “I want us to be great on both sides on the ball. We have to continue to work and concentrate on improvement.

“But that was a heckuva play by Reggie and Taj, as well. That’s what you have to do. You have to swarm, you have to fly around and make plays.”

Gibson, who previously played for Thibodeau with the Bulls and Timberwolves, has made a strong contribution on the interior since joining the rotation as the backup center behind Nerlens Noel, after starter Mitchell Robinson broke his hand on Feb. 12.

“For us, I think that is one of our strengths,” Thibodeau said. “We have two elite rim protector in Mitch and Nerlens, and then when you throw Taj into the mix, Taj has great feet and is one of the best pick-and-roll defenders in the league. And he’s a great low-post defender, so you have that added dimension to the defense.”

➤ Thibodeau said he “thought Obi [Toppin] and Kevin Knox gave us really good minutes in the second quarter.” Neither former lottery pick scored in 14 combined minutes in the game, with Toppin missing all three shot attempts.