Would you believe the aftermath of a sweep is one week without the Knicks?
Guess beggars can’t be choosers.
Here’s the latest from Pennsylvania’s Garden.
Mike Brown
On why he trusted Miles McBride in OG Anunoby’s absence:
“Deuce, he’s not afraid. He gives us the ability to make shots from range and or the ability to go get a shot. He gives us another ball handler. He’s a really good defender, and he’s versatile. When he’s on the floor with Jalen, analytically,
they’re pretty good together. But he just brings a lot to the table for us on both ends of the floor, last thing offensively he’s got to be guarded because he can makes shots.”
On McBride’s mental toughness during the series:
“He’s just tough-minded. In order to have success in anything you do in life you need to have a short memory, and he definitely has a short memory.”
On how McBride’s shooting performance elevated the team in Game 4:
“Obviously, all of our guys, starting with Jalen [Brunson] and KAT [Karl-Anthony Towns], were really good, but Deuce — he was unbelievable. His ability to stretch the floor and create space for others is second to none. He’s got a confidence about him and in himself that just makes us take another level on both ends of the floor.”
On where McBride’s resilience comes from:
“It’s Mother’s Day. It comes from his mom. Get that correct. It comes from his mom. [Deuce is] just tough. He’s tough. He’s a football player, you know? In order to have a chance in life and at anything you do, you have to have a short memory, and he definitely has a short memory.”
On embracing criticism while making bold adjustments:
“We made a lot of moves throughout the course of the year and throughout the course of the playoffs, and you just keep trying to do what’s best for the team. I don’t care what team I’m with. When you’re talking about being in the NBA, even if you do stuff right, you’re going to get criticized. So you just embrace whatever’s out there and you keep trying to do what’s best for the team. And at the end of the day, if it doesn’t work out, the one thing I know I can do is I can go look in the mirror and say, ‘Hey, I tried to do the best I could for this group, regardless of anything else.’ I try to do the best I could, and that’s what keeps me going.”
On gaining appreciation for the Knicks’ traveling fan base:
“I obviously didn’t know how well they traveled and stuff like that, because I was out of coaching, so I watched [them] once in a while. I watched ESPN and all of that stuff during basketball time. And they showed videos of fans after first-round wins climbing light poles. So I’m like, wow. You love it. You love seeing stuff like that. But I got a lot of respect for them. And the more you’re around, the more you appreciate and understand why they are like that. But more than anything else, they’re knowledgeable. It’s a knowledgeable group, a knowledgeable fan base, and you respect that just as much as their passion shows.”
On the timing of the next game after a sweep:
“I wouldn’t want to play [Monday] or Tuesday. Maybe Wednesday?”
Miles McBride
On meeting the expectations placed on him in a starting role:
“This is what I expect to do. I feel like that’s why the coaching staff trusts me in the lineup, my teammates trust me out there, and just I trust my work.”
On his mindset when stepping into bigger minutes:
“I just want to win and do what I can to help this team win.”
On the significance of being part of a record-setting playoff performance:
“It’s definitely special. I didn’t even know honestly. To have anything like that on your name is a legacy you want.”
On capitalizing when the Sixers left him open:
“They left me open. This is what I expect to do. That’s why the coaching staff trusts me, my teammates trust me. And I trust my work.”
On seeing Knicks fans hand out posters of Mitchell Robinson’s dunk on Embiid:
“Man, Mitch did his thing right here, so shout-out to the fans.”
On how the team’s mentality shifted after an earlier loss in the series:
“I feel like our mindset shifted. We know we’re the better team (but) we can’t just come out there and expect to win, because they’re talented too. So I feel like our mindset just shifted totally to ‘take the game’ instead of (waiting for) them to give us the game.”
On the internal standard the team is holding itself to:
“People on the outside always have their expectations, but internally we have our own. Our expectations are a championship, nothing less. So, this series is done, enjoy it. Obviously we’re happy, can’t take it for granted but we have a lot more to go.”
Karl-Anthony Towns
On the team’s maturity heading into another Eastern Conference Finals:
“This year we just have another year with each other, it’s just us being very locked into the moment and understanding there’s a lot more work to do.”
On how McBride’s early barrage set the tone in Game 4:
“He was fantastic. The start of the game really was the Deuce McBride show. He went out there and hit some really big shots that gave us momentum. We talked about how we wanted to start fast and we’ve talked about starts, and Deuce allowed us to do that. Shout out to Deuce. That’s one of the best games I’ve ever seen Deuce play, especially in the moment.”
On adjusting the team’s approach after the first-round struggles:
“Shout out to our team. We found a way to, in a way, stabilize our season and do what was needed to adjust to Atlanta. And [we] found ourselves in a better position. It’s a shout-out to the coaching staff for realizing adjustments that needed to be made and also [a] shout-out to me personally that they trusted me.”
On the difficulty of closing out a series and ending another team’s season:
“It’s great when you see a team having that kind of focus and discipline and execution. I’ve always said that the toughest games are to end someone’s season and to see us taking that to a series, it’s great. It’s great for us to see. But now we’ve got to reset. We’ve got to readjust. Get our minds back right and enjoy this time with our family and get back to business.”
On staying grounded despite outside criticism during the season:
“It was a rollercoaster for sure. I think outside the Knicks organization, things looked worse than what they were. From the outside looking in. But inside the building, we were working every single day to be the best team we can be. That’s all we were focusing on. There were times when there were positives and negatives, ups and downs. But that’s what our goals were. And that’s still our goal. Be the best we can be. Continue to learn. Continue to get better. The journey shows you who you are.”
On what lies ahead despite the sweep:
“We have a lot of work to do.”
Jalen Brunson
On the team’s focus throughout the playoff run:
“We’re focused. We’re staying poised, staying composed. Just focusing on the little things. One day at a time, one game at a time. Not looking ahead at all, staying in the moment.”
On whether it matters who they face next in the conference finals:
“One game at a time. One game at a time. We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”
On hearing Knicks fans take over opposing arenas:
“It’s one of the coolest things in the world hearing Knicks fans take over opposing arenas.”
On how team chemistry has developed over time:
“I think the more we’ve played together as a team, the more we’ve grown. And we’ve continued to get better. It’s a chemistry thing. It’s a feel thing. It’s how things get better. Things get better over time.”
On reflecting on his growing legacy in New York:
“I think that’s a question I would love to answer when I retire. This place means a lot to me. We’re still writing our story. I’ll answer that another time.”
Josh Hart
On his view of Philadelphia’s faithful:
“I used to think Philly was a sports town. I don’t know if it is anymore. Everybody was begging for Philly (fans) not to sell their tickets. It never felt like a road game.”
On keeping emotions in check after advancing to the ECF:
“No relief, no jubilation. Just another step in the process. The way we beat Boston last year, the comebacks and all that, it was — I don’t wanna say it was celebratory — but it hit a little bit differently. Here, it’s business as normal, and we gotta make sure we’re locked in and focused.”
On the ball movement that fueled the Knicks’ historic shooting night:
“Guys were sacrificing good shots for better shots, and when you do that, the ball has energy and we have to knock down shots. So playing a style like that is fun.”
On rediscovering his three-point touch in Game 4:
“My right hand remembered that the goal was to make 3s. So happy to have her back.”
On how the Sixers’ arena atmosphere felt during the takeover:
“It was like a branch of MSG here today.”
On the importance of recovering during the playoff break ahead:
“We’re a little banged up. We need to get some treatment, get some rest, recover a little. And be ready to go.”
On how he plans to spend the downtime before the next series:
“We’ll relax. Maybe watch a few games.”
Mitchell Robinson
On Jalen Brunson’s long-term impact on the franchise:
“He’s definitely proved himself. I don’t think he gets enough credit for what he’s done for this team for, what, the last five years? S—, they don’t give him his credit.”
Paul George
On the loss to the Knicks:
“We ran into a hot New York team. They’re getting momentum. And they’re playing better and better as these games are coming. And they came out hot. They threw haymakers early and they kept throwing them.”
Joel Embiid
On the Knicks being simply superior to the Sixers:
“I mean, they were just better. I’m proud of this group. I feel like we play hard, we tried, as we have done all season, and at times it’s OK to say that the other team was just better. Tonight, they made every shot, they made every single play, we didn’t make shots. We just got to get better from top to bottom. Ownership, front office, players, coaches … everybody just got to get better.”
On the organization-wide need for improvement after the sweep:
“So, we just gotta get better, from top to bottom. Ownership, players, coaches, everybody just has to get better.”
On taking personal responsibility for the team’s shortcomings:
“Frankly, they were just better than us. So, we have to look at each other, and that starts with me. I wasn’t around for much of the season for a lot of things. So, moving forward, I have an understanding of what it takes to make sure that I get to play. I think we will be better next year. But, for now, I’m disappointed we didn’t get a chance for a championship. So, everyone has to look at themselves, starting with me.”
Tyrese Maxey
On the frustration of Knicks fans taking over Philadelphia’s arena:
“It absolutely sucks, if I’m being honest. It just sucks. That’s really all I can say about it, man. It’s hard. It’s definitely difficult. It’s only one way to put a stop to it and it’s, we have to go out there and win these games. Just being completely honest, we were better when we played them in the Garden this entire season. I know we lost Game 2 and 1, but Game 2 was better. The regular season was better. I was telling them, it felt louder here for them than it did in the Garden. We got to put a stop to it as a team. Winning these games, that’s gonna make our fans louder than theirs or whatever. I don’t know how to keep them out. I don’t know the logistics of it, but it does suck. I can’t even lie. It definitely does suck.”
Nick Nurse
On Joel Embiid battling through injuries during the series:
“I commend him man, he worked his ass off to get out there and play. He certainly was trending upward toward the end of the Boston series…obviously, he gets the hip, ankle, injury that took him out a game, and I don’t think he ever got back to where he was trending.”
