David Fizdale responded to his social-media critics who thought he should have put Frank Ntilikina on Caris LeVert on the final play that led to a game-winning basket Friday in Brooklyn.

One of the Twitter critics was former Phil Jackson advisor, Clarence Gaines Jr., who was not retained when his contract expired in July.

Fizdale said Hardaway and LeVert are former Michigan teammates and pride was at stake.

“That’s why there was no way I was taking him off that kid on the last possession,’’ Fizdale said. “I’m trying to make Timmy into a complete basketball player. He needed to go through that and take that challenge. Hey the kid scored, but he learned from it and he knows I believe in him as defender.”

Fizdale also said he thought Hardaway would’ve been angered if he made the switch after he had guarded him all game.

Gaines Jr. on Twitter stated Hardaway would have been his third option to guard LeVert.

“Fair ?-I didn’t watch the game but saw the last play. My first reaction was why wasn’t @FrankLikina on @CarisLeVert. @T_HardJR is my 3rd option to guard him based on the players in the game,” Gaines Jr. tweeted. “But I also respect Fizdale showing confidence in Tim. Players grow when U believe in them”

“I want you guys to look at it like this – there was a day I played,’’ Fizdale said. “If I was in a game playing against high school teammate, for him his college teammate, and we’ve going tit for tat, 28, 29, back and forth, back and forth and the last play of the game the coach goes, ‘Hey, I’m going to put him on.’ I might lose Timmy. That could crush him. No. This is a development year. That’s part of Timmy’s development. He’s got to take that challenge. I can’t hide him. He’s got to dig in and get that stop. He didn’t get it last night but he knows I believe he can.”