Knicks.
Hawks.
Game 1.
Let’s go!
Mike Brown
On focusing on the Knicks’ strengths: “Obviously, you respect what you’ve done all year. The neat part about it is we’ve faced a lot of different things. We’ve faced cross-matches, we’ve faced teams playing us the same, we’ve faced zone, we’ve faced box-and-1. So to be able to have
those different looks throughout the course of the year has helped us work on us. You continue to understand what your strengths are and you try to go to your strengths more than anything else while focusing on some of the things they may possibly do.”
On preparing for Hack-A-Mitch:
“We’ve talked about it. We have different things in mind that we’ll do. A lot of them will come down to time and score and feel. But we understand that’s what teams may want to do, especially if our offense is clicking at that point in time.”
On expecting cross-matches from Atlanta:
“We’ve been cross-matched all year. We imagine they’ll go to that. We faced a lot of different defenses. They may try to cross-match and they may do some things — we’ve faced a box-and-1, we’ve faced a zone. We feel like we’re prepared for anything that they throw at us, so we’re looking forward to that challenge.”
On adjusting if Alexander-Walker gets hot:
“He hit some tough shots, some amazing shots that he’s more than capable of doing. If he hits those shots again, you tip your hat off to him and you say, ‘Great job.’ Now, obviously, you have to be ready to mix in more blitzes or some of this or some of that throughout the course of the series if he’s going like that. Which we will be ready for that stuff.”
Mikal Bridges
On the intensity of playoff basketball:
“Playoffs are fun and real amped up and a lot of aggression, a lot of thinking. It’s just fun being in those games. The crowd and everything just goes up another level. So it’s always fun playing playoff games. Just trying to do whatever it takes to win.”
On raising his game in the postseason:
“I would want to. I feel like every player would want to. I just try to be the best I can be and try to do whatever it takes to help the team win.”
On sacrificing within the offensive hierarchy:
“Sacrifice for your brothers. Putting your body on the line, doing whatever it takes to make the play to help your teammates out.”
On playoff experience being part of his DNA:
“That’s kind of what I’ve known. It’s kind of my DNA.”
On learning from last season’s loss:
“I think just everything is a learning experience. Obviously, you’re not happy when you lose, especially when you’re close. But you take everything as a learning experience and build from it and learn from it.”
On ignoring outside noise:
“I think what motivates us is just trying to be the best team we can be, honestly. Not really too worried what other teams have to do or what they do, we’re just so worried about ourselves and preparing for whoever we have to play, and it’s them. So we’re just worried about preparing and that’s really it, nothing else.”
On Brown vs. Thibodeau playoff prep:
“I think they both prepare great. That’s what I take from it.”
Karl-Anthony Towns
On capitalizing on the playoff opportunity:
“It’s great that we put ourselves in this position to be in the playoffs in this position. At the end of the day, the season doesn’t mean anything if we don’t capitalize on this opportunity. You can’t look to the future, you can’t look past an opponent. You can’t do any of that. The present is the most important thing. As long as we take care of the present, the future will be taken care of.”
Josh Hart
On being judged in the playoffs:
“We made the playoffs. We had 50 wins, so that was good. We know we’re going to be judged by what we do starting now.”
Miles McBride
On the difference between Thibs’ and Brown’s coaching:
“It’s a lot more digital, I’d say.”
Tracy McGrady
On the key for the Knicks to reach the Finals:
“It starts on the defensive end. When they’re locked in and talking, they’re a different team. I’ve seen them have stretches where they look like a top five defense in the league, and that’s what it’s going to take. Good defense turns into better offense for this team. Offensively, they’ve got enough. It’s really just about balance. When Mikal gets going, it opens everything up because now you’ve got a few guys that can give you 20 any night. I like when they’ve got size on the floor too. Towns can space it, Mitch handles the paint, that’s tough to deal with.”
On what the Knicks need from Karl-Anthony Towns:
“They need discipline and presence from him in every possession. He’s too skilled to fade in and out of games. I want to see him be aggressive, not just shooting 3s, but putting pressure on the rim, making defenses react. And defensively, just be solid. Contest, rebound, and don’t put your team in tough spots with fouls.”
Kazeem Famuyide (HOT 97 Radio Host)
On boycotting Atlanta rap artists during the first-round series:
“We don’t want to hear no Atlanta artists right now. Time to show some New York solidarity.”
On New York bias vs. Atlanta bias:
“When people say I have a New York bias, it’s an issue, but if I say you have an Atlanta bias, a down south bias, that’s OK. Any time we can show love and spotlight our city, especially when we need to band tougher, why not have the same pride in New York others have (in their regions)? It’s not bias, it’s just pride.”
On not having Atlanta artists in rotation hurting the most:
“We could probably go 10 years without any Boston artists. I’d have an easier time not hearing artists from any of those cities than I would from any artists from Atlanta.”
