The Knicks are 3-1 in the NBA Finals.
You saw it all.
I just have no words.
Mike Brown
On believing in the comeback all day long:
“I knew there was a lot of time left. I knew we’ve got to get a little lucky, but let’s do what we have to do to make some of that luck happen.”
On Jalen Brunson’s performance:
“Jalen, he’s an MVP candidate. I say the same thing about Jalen every game: He does what an MVP is supposed to, and he did it
again tonight.”
On OG Anunoby’s Game 4 tip-in:
“How he had to control it and tip it in, that has to be the most iconic shot in the history of New York basketball. It’s unbelievable. Just how he had to control it and tip it in.”
On challenging Anunoby before Game 4:
“I challenged a lot of our guys today, and OG was one of the guys I challenged. I told OG, as big, as strong, as athletic as he is, he’s got to be a monster on the offensive glass tonight. I don’t know if there was a play bigger than any other play in the history in Knicks basketball. That was a huge offensive rebound. Huge offensive rebound. He took on the challenge, and he went and won the game for us doing exactly what I called him out for during shootaround today.”
On not changing much schematically before the second half rally:
“Really, we didn’t change much. We basically kept the same game plan. But defensively, we just did it [better] for longer stretches, and we were really in tune to what we were supposed to be doing. Our level of physicality increased without sending them to the free-throw line as well, which is huge.”
On Jose Alvarado’s Game 4 impact:
“Jose was unbelievable tonight. He changed the game. His speed, his ability to touch the paint… if you don’t close out to Jose, as hard as he works on his shot, he’s gonna make you pay. If you close out to him, he’s quick enough to go by you and he made some great basketball plays offensively tonight. And then he was great defensively.”
On the league not upgrading Victor Wembanyama’s foul to a flagrant before Game 4:
“The league is gonna do what they’re gonna do. You gotta live with it. They ain’t gonna listen to me, they ain’t gonna listen to nobody else. You just hope at the end of the day, everything is consistent on both ends throughout the whole game, that’s it. It is what it is. Stuff like that can cause a fight. Obviously, they didn’t see it. If it happens in the future, fingers crossed the officials see it and call it, but again, it’s out of my control. The officials are human; they’re gonna miss stuff. You hope that they miss stuff for both teams, but they’re gonna miss stuff.”
On the Knicks’ chemistry, continuity and keeping a group together:
“The longer you can keep a group together, I think that’s better. And it’s kind of always been that to a certain degree. You know, way, way back, the Lakers, they had Karl Malone, I think Gary Payton and a couple other superstars that they threw together one year, and it was hard. Not to say that it can’t be done. I’m sure it’s been done. But the longer the group can stay together, I feel the better chance they have.”
Jose Alvarado
On the Game 4 comeback:
“That’s called Knicks basketball. Stay together, be together. And look at this f—— energy man. This is who we do it for.”
On the Knicks’ mindset at halftime in Game 4:
“Regardless of the outcome, these next 24 minutes, we better bring it and show them how we really play basketball.”
On proving the first half was an anomaly:
“We needed to show them that first half was a fluke.”
On playing in the fourth quarter of an NBA Finals game:
“Playing in the fourth quarter, that’s something, when you play this game, that’s when you want to play at. Shout out to our bench… we all stepped up when our number was called and I’m glad we got the job done today.”
On being part of the Knicks’ journey:
“Just to be part of the journey is amazing. I appreciate coach [Brown] and everybody giving me my flowers, but this is what I worked hard for, to be in moments like this and it’s showing. I’m glad we got a win today and I’ll definitely remember this for the rest of my life.”
On Brown’s message to the team while trailing:
“Stay together, and chop the lead down. More importantly, stay together and stay confident.”
On nearly crying after the Game 4 win:
“I was about to cry, not because — obviously there is one more, but … I’m at Madison Square Garden, end of the fourth quarter, playing with these guys, and we’re playing for something special. It’s really something. I couldn’t put it in words.”
Karl-Anthony Towns
On the miracle tip-in by OG:
“Right hand of God.”
“He gave us a chance to win, and that’s all you can ask for from the best two-way player in the NBA.”
On Jose Alvarado’s Game 4 performance:
“He’s a special player. His tenacity, his defensive ability and his offensive ability that I got to see first-hand… He has so much to his basketball game that people don’t give credit to and I’m glad at this stage and like this he was able to show the world what he can do when he’s given a chance. Jose Alvarado literally told everybody in the world tonight he’s a big time player.”
On an emotional Madison Square Garden after the comeback:
“I felt for all of y’all who were at the game, obviously, you could feel the abundance of joy at one time from everyone at one time, the collective joy that came out of everybody for that one moment, to hear the buzzer going off and not to see the ball go in the basket, I think we all felt something, like that emotion that was special. It’s something that MSG hasn’t had that kind of moment in a long time, so shoutout to our fans for real. I’ve seen people leave before the game was over at MSG, watching on MSG Network before. … You could see my reaction, the emotion, it kind of spilled out of that moment. It was tears of joy … All you can do is ask for a chance. And for me personally, I just wanted one break in life. And I got one.”
OG Anunoby
On what makes the Knicks the Knicks:
“We’re a team, a brotherhood, you know, we just have each other’s backs. That’s just how it goes sometimes. We would all do the same for each other.”
On his message in the locker room at halftime:
“I’ll just say stuff like, ‘We’re fine. Stay with it, we’re fine.’ “We know it’s a game of runs. We’re a resilient group. We’ve been through a lot. We’ve come back plenty of times when we’re behind. Just staying with it, weathering the storm, not being too down or angry or frustrated. Cut it down to 18, cut it down to 12, cut it down to six. Pushing through. It’s a 48-minute game. Just play to the end.”
On how Mike Brown challenged him at shootaround:
“Make an impact on the offensive glass. And it happened at the end.”
On crashing the glass after Brunson’s miss:
“I inbounded the ball to Jalen. He got a pretty good look and I just went and crashed. Tried to get a tip-dunk or something. The ball went over my head, so I couldn’t really dunk it. So, I tried to tip it in softly and it went in.”
“I was free. There was no one boxing me out. So I just went in there for a tip-dunk and then ended up just tipping it in. Brunson got a pretty good look. And I just went and crashed.”
On the defensive turnaround in the second half:
“Our contests were better, just 1 percent better. Getting out faster and then finishing possessions with rebounds.”
On pulling off another monster comeback:
“When you do it once. You know you can do it again.”
On the MSG faithful belief in these Knicks:
“They believed the whole way.”
On the team’s resilience:
“We stayed with it. It’s a game of runs. We’ve come back before, we’re battle-tested, we’re tough, we’re a resilient group.”
On staying focused on the task at hand:
“We’re enjoying it right now. But we’re just focused on the next game now.”
On the Knicks’ chemistry playing a big role in their postseason run:
“For sure, having another year together builds chemistry, builds just every day learning how to play off each other. Yeah, that means a lot. It’s a big time for us. Just going through the experience last year — we played a lot of games, 82-plus — and losing in the Eastern Conference finals and learning a lot of things about each other definitely helps.”
Josh Hart
On OG Anunoby saving him after the missed layup and rebound:
“I’ve got a special shout-out for OG, man, because he saved me, at least for this game, a lifetime of regret. So I’m sitting there just hoping my guys make a play. And OG, he’s been amazing since he’s got here. This whole playoff run, he’s been amazing on both ends of the ball. He’s a winning player and he made a winning play.”
On Anunoby’s season and game-winner:
“This whole playoff run he’s been amazing, and he’s a winning player, and he went and made a winning play.”
On the fourth-quarter defensive effort:
“That’s unreal, and doing that especially in the fourth quarter. We were able to get stops without fouling, and that fueled our offense.”
On where he ranks the Game 4 win among his career highs:
“I won a national championship in 2016. [Jalen Brunson] and [Mikal Bridges] will probably remind you that I only have one and they have two. So that night is No. 1. This one is definitely No. 2.”
On the trust and familiarity within the Knicks:
“I think you just get a familiarity and a certain comfort level with those guys. All of them can go out there and make plays, especially end of shot clock. … I think it’s more so the trust that’s built, and you know where everyone likes the ball and plays for them to execute.”
Jalen Brunson
On chipping away at the deficit:
“Really wasn’t that much to be said at that point. It was really just, we need to chip away. We need to hit singles, get on base and make plays from there.”
On focusing on what’s next instead of getting distracted:
“The most important thing for me over the next 48 hours is focusing on what we have to do to win Game 5. There’s nothing to celebrate. It’s not over yet, not even close.”
On OG Anunoby’s Game 4 performance:
“OG is someone who brings it, every night. Does what’s asked of him, plus more, every single night.”
On OG’s game-winning tip-in:
“OG being OG, just made a play.”
Landry Shamet
On the comeback atmosphere inside MSG:
“I don’t think any of us have ever seen anything like that. It’s a lot to process.
“On the bench when we’re slowly walking them down and you feel it shift a little bit and there’s a little bit of hope there that creeps in, it’s hard to explain, but if you were in the building, everybody felt it. This isn’t just talking about staying in the game, let’s cut the lead. It was like, ‘No, we’re here, let’s make something happen.’”
On Alvarado’s spark:
“He checked into the game and changed the game. That’s when things really started to shift. He’s a spark. The energy he brings for us … he was ready to go and stepped in and made some huge plays for us.”
Mitch Johnson
On the Spurs’ collapse:
“To put as much good work into that first half as we did and get the lead that we had and not finish the job, it’s disappointing to say the least. We felt the momentum [shift]. Too much to overcome? I didn’t feel that way until the clock hit zero…. We got away from playing the brand of basketball that got us the lead. And then you saw at times, the aggressiveness and conviction that we played with early on dissipated and they made some shots. We needed a couple of more tough-minded plays to finish the job.”
Victor Wembanyama
On the Spurs’ second-half collapse:
“It began before that. I can’t really explain it right now. Stopped moving the ball. Stopped executing.”
“I can’t really explain it right now, I don’t know. I think it’s just execution, greediness of some sort. We clearly weren’t the most hungry in the second half.”
“It’s gonna go one of two ways. A bad one and a good one. The bad one would be giving up; the good one would be getting stronger from this, getting more together, and this is what we’re gonna do.”
“It was painful, of course. It feels like we’re working too hard to give up our leads. It just hurts.”
On what’s next for San Antonio after suffering the worst loss in NBA history:
“Holding each other accountable, communicating, not pointing fingers. After that, we either got it or we don’t. But we’ve proven we can surpass these difficulties, and even though we haven’t been there before, I’m convinced we’re built this way and we’re gonna get better from this.”
On focusing on his weaknesses during his early development:
“As a kid, whether you’re 10, 13, 16 years old, you’re working for the future. You’re trying to develop your range of skills. I would say, long story short, play on your weaknesses, not only your strengths.”
On the Spurs’ identity:
“What we’ve built with this team is we have an identity that makes everybody dangerous. Sometimes it will pay off over a season, [sometimes] over a playoff series.”
On the MSG crowd and playing on the road:
“I like lively crowds, active crowds. … At home, it’s an extra motivation because you want to give the people who support you a good show. On the road, you want to do the opposite.”
Dylan Harper
On the Spurs’ mindset after falling behind 3-1:
“We’re all definitely hurt. I mean, we kind of gave the game up. Was up, what, 30? Hurt, I mean, angry. But I mean, I feel like this is all fuel to the fire for us. I think that we’re just going to go out next game with a sense of fire, and we’re just going to focus on game five. I mean, can’t do anything about it now.”
“A whole new fire, I feel like, is ignited in me, in a sense that we gave that game away. And if we’re going to lose, we’re not going out like that. We’re going to put up a fight. We’re going to keep swinging.”
On the Spurs’ chemistry despite their youth:
“I feel like those kind of events and things like that make up for the years that we weren’t together or the years that we haven’t had. So, the biggest thing, I feel like, is chemistry when you get in a building like this, when you get in an environment like this. I feel like we have the most chemistry and camaraderie, and togetherness as anyone else.”
On OG Anunoby’s tip-in:
“It bounced off the rim the right way. He tipped it in the right way. It went in. I could play, ‘Wish I could have did this, wish I could have did that.’ But at the end of the day, he tipped the ball, and it went in the rim. I definitely thought I had a hand on it. I definitely think I helped put the ball in the rim. But just got to box out.”
Stephon Castle
On the Spurs dictating the series outcomes:
“Coach Mitch said it best, we’ve pretty much dictated the winner and loser of all these games. I think that just finishing games and just trying to maintain our lead has been tough for us.”
Keldon Johnson
On the Spurs’ belief after going down 3-1:
“The main thing is that belief is there. We believe. Our belief is as high as ever. You don’t get here without belief, without faith in each other, and that’s not going to change now. If it was easy, everybody would do it.”
De’Aaron Fox
On going for a layup late instead of just running the clock:
“I just thought I’d be able to outrun (OG). That’s it. I tried to get the layup to get up three, force them to need a three, and OG made a good block.”
On what makes the Knicks different:
“Yeah, I mean, I think just all four of our playoff series this year. I mean, Portland, physical team. Minnesota, physical team. OKC, physical team. New York, physical team. I think all these teams have something in common.”
“I think on the offensive end is where these teams are really different. Neither of those other three teams shoot the ball like [New York] does. Neither of those other three teams play as fast as [New York] does. Knowing there’s something similar that we come out but knowing there’s going to be differences in some of the nuances of schematics or personnel. I think those three series did help us prepare for the physicality we were going to see.”
Charles Barkley
On the Spurs’ and Fox’s dumb late-game execution:
“We saw the dumbest basketball team in the history of civilization. We saw they had a 25-point lead, took eight straight threes. Like they thought… that was some of the most mismanaged and stupid basketball.”
“Hey, when you blow a 29-point lead, the other team has to help you. The San Antonio Spurs helped the New York Knicks win this game by doing some of the stupid a– stuff I’ve ever seen on the basketball court. When they shot when they had a 25-point lead, they shot eight threes in a row.”
“Never even came close to using any time on the clock. And you’re like, ‘This game ain’t over yet.’ Then the Spurs and DeAndre Fox, whatever his name is. Calling him a– DeAndre tonight.”
“That was a dumba– play. He did not have to shoot that ball. They could have just gotten fouled. There was no reason for him to shoot that ball. They had a 29-point lead, and they shot eight threes in a row and never came close to losing any time on the clock, and you’re like ‘This game ain’t over yet.’ The Knicks got a Christmas gift in June tonight.”
Magic Johnson
On the Knicks’ historic comeback and Fox’s decision:
“We just watched the Knicks make the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history! The first and second halves were two completely different stories – the Spurs dominated in the first half and the Knicks stormed back in the second. Jalen Brunson put the team on his back with his 36-point performance, but OG Anunoby was the true hero tonight, finishing with 33 points AND the game-winning tip-in!”
“De’Aaron Fox made a huge mistake when he got the ball with seconds left in the fourth and decided to go for a layup instead of dribbling the ball out to be fouled. I think the Spurs have another win in them, and the Series will stretch out to 6 or 7 games, but I still see the Knicks winning it all.”
Isiah Thomas
On De’Aaron Fox’s late decision:
“Fox, come on, fam! Finish that or dribble it out.”
Latrell Sprewell
On the Garden atmosphere during Game 4:
“I’ve heard it loud in here before. I remember how loud it was when [Larry Johnson] hit that four-point play against the Pacers in ’99. I’ve never heard it like this.”
Carmelo Anthony
On the physicality of Game 3:
“That game was physical as shit. There was times where [Karl-Anthony Towns] was holding on to [Victor Wembenyama], grabbing him, and it was no calls. There was times where [Jalen Brunson] was getting bumped. It was no calls.”
“I think that the physicality of this series is it’s whoever’s the most physical team, but the smart physical team, because now, after a game like that, game three back in New York, all eyes are on it, the energy that’s surrounding it, they’re going to pay close attention to all the little shit in the game. So don’t be surprised if game four they come out and the game is super tight.”
On the Knicks’ lack of response to Wembanyama’s shove of Brunson:
“Somebody should have put Wemby right there. You put me on the ground and you laughed at me? Nah. Next play, boom. He got to feel something.”
On the need for standing up for teammates on the court:
“It’s like football. If you hit the quarterback late, them offensive linemen come see you.”
On the criticism of Brunson’s shot volume:
“The reality of that is he has to do that. If he don’t do that, Knicks don’t stand a chance.”
On Towns’ small fourth-quarter involvement heading into Game 4:
“KAT just can’t have one shot in a half, fourth quarter. You can’t be doing that in the Finals. You got to set the tone for Game 4 in the post. That’s what KAT got to do. And that will help JB.”
Jeremy Lin
On whether this Knicks run is the greatest ever:
“I don’t think I know enough about the history of the older teams to fully know. But forget the Knicks, this is one of the most dominant runs we’ve seen in NBA history.”
Metta Sandiford-Artest
On his prediction for the Knicks’ season:
“They’re going to win it. I think this is going to be the time. I knew I wanted to see it in my lifetime, and it feels like Jalen Brunson is the best player in the playoffs right now even though [San Antonio’s Victor] Wembanyama is really good. But right now, Jalen Brunson is the best player in the playoffs.”
On wanting to play and lead the Knicks in his prime:
“I wanted to be the one to bring the Knicks back and be a real core piece in my prime. Being the Defensive Player of the Year in the Garden, I just felt like that would’ve been a helluva — if you would’ve come to the Garden with me on the other side in my prime, good luck to you. I’m always going to go back to me, personally. But for the Knicks to win the championship now, you can’t take it away from nobody. You can’t take it away from anybody from New York. You can’t take it away from the players. You can’t take it away from the coaches. You can’t take it away from the owners. You can’t take it away from the fans. We want to see that because we’re from New York.”
