To be fair to Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau, it was a dicey situation as the seconds wore down at the end of Game 5 at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday. He had just one timeout left and in a tight game against the Pistons, one that could be a close-out if the Knicks (leading the series, 3-1 entering the game) could finish the job.

Each game of a dramatic, unpredictable first-round playoff series between the No. 3 Knicks and No. 6 Detroit Pistons has ended with its own twist. Game 5, a 106-103 Knicks loss at Madison Square Garden, came down to a decision — and the coach’s call was not to call.

It was the defining decision of Tuesday’s 106-103 Knicks defeat to the Pistons, confounding as it unfolded and explained afterwards by Tom Thibodeau as, simply, “coach’s decision.”