The consensus NBA Finals favorite, the mighty San Antonio Spurs, and all their backers ate humble pie on Wednesday…
…and a banged-up yet unstoppable Jalen Brunson served it to them.
Read this Bulletin while rejoicing in the fact that New York is just three games away from sporting 24-karat rings on their collective fingers.
Mike Brown
On Mitchell Robinson’s brief
Game 1 performance:
“I didn’t think he was (limited). I’ve got to go back and watch the tape. He caught a lob. He was still a vertical threat. … And then defensively, I thought he was pretty good as well, trying to rebound, keeping those guys off the glass.”
On trusting Jalen Brunson late:
“We put the ball in his hands and said we are going to live and die with him. And he got it done for us, and that’s happened time after time after time.”
On Brunson’s second-half takeover:
“He’s a gamer, man. In the biggest moments, he shows up, and that’s what MVPs are supposed to do. He carried us home. We put the ball in his hands and said we are going to live and die with him. And he got it done for us, and that’s happened time after time after time. He got to his spots and he made plays.”
On learning through a tough win:
“We felt we didn’t play well, but it’s good to learn with a win.”
On Karl-Anthony Towns’ impact:
“He’s a problem. You put a small guy on him, he’s got a chance to offensive rebound. You put a big guy on him, he’s got a chance to pick-and-pop and go around guys. We have to just keep trying to move him around based on who is guarding him throughout the course of the ballgame, but he was huge for us with his double-double. He came up with some timely buckets for us. He’s a problem. You put a small guy on him, he’s got a chance to offensive rebound. You put a big guy on him, he’s got a chance to pick-and-pop and go around guys.”
On Landry Shamet’s play off the bench:
“Landry was huge off the bench. Not only [scoring, but] defensively he was huge for us.”
On OG Anunoby’s impact:
“OG got it going in the second half. He was huge for us in the second half.”
On Jalen Brunson’s injury scare nearly pushing him to sub Tyler Kolek in:
“I’m too emotional and you know, when I get caught up in injuries, so when he got hurt and he went out, ‘Jose, let’s go.’ And I was about to throw Tyler Kolek in the game, too. Jalen came back, tough as nails, and to me he didn’t seem like he had any effect afterwards. I haven’t talked to our medical people. He didn’t look like it was bothering him down the stretch, and so I think he’s OK.”
On the team’s resilience:
“These guys are resilient, man. They get better as the game goes along. They really try to pay attention to the details that we are throwing at them.”
On staying the course when trailing in Game 1:
“You know, we’re down double digits tonight, and we were also down double digits in Game 1 against Cleveland. And for our guys just to stay with it is huge. Because anything can happen in a 48-minute game, as long as you stay the course.”
On making transition defense adjustments on the fly:
“These guys are just fast, and we can’t buddy-run — you’ve got to sprint back, and you’ve got to shift to the ball. You’ve got to make the paint look crowded, and then you’ve got to get to their shooters, just because they are so good in transition.”
On the bench unit:
“We’ve gotten lifts from our bench at different times. All of those guys have had big moments for us throughout the course of these playoffs so far. For us, that’s something that we’ve wanted to establish during the course of the [regular season] for moments like these.”
On Rick Brunson calming the team:
“We were all bitching too much at the officials. Rick Brunson was great. He told me to shut the hell up – sorry Mom – and he told the rest of the team to be quiet and leave the officials alone. It was great of him because we were all kind of losing our minds, and I did it, the rest of the guys did it, and it helped us put our energy elsewhere – especially in the second half.”
On his minute-management philosophy:
“In terms of the minutes, it’s a philosophy I had. One of the many things I learned from Pop and Steve [Kerr]. Steve was really good at trying to play a lot of different guys. Not only that, a guy that hadn’t been in the rotation for a while, one game he might throw him out there as a starter. That kept guys engaged or on their toes, however you want to call it. Then at the end of the day, I’m not a medical person, but just from what medical people say, if you can kind of control the minutes during the regular season, it helps them during the postseason. From people telling me that, I believe it. That’s what I tried to do.”
On navigating adversity during the season:
“First of all, there’s always rocky moments during the course of the season. That’s what the season’s there for. I actually hoped there would be some big, rocky times or adverse times because you have to try to fight through them as an organization, not just as a team, but as an organization, to see if everybody can stay connected during those times. Getting to the Finals is not easy. If you can navigate through some of those adverse or tough times throughout the season, you’ll give yourself a chance when it really matters, which is the postseason.”
Jalen Brunson
On the key to the Game 1 comeback:
“Honestly, I just think our chemistry. Just knowing that we have each others’ back. There’s a lot of things Xs-and-Os-wise that we could’ve done better, but I think most importantly our togetherness was the biggest difference.”
On respecting the Spurs:
“They come ready to play more than any other team that we’ve faced. And so, we have the utmost respect for them. We know that we’ve got to be ready for Game 2. We just found a way to make big plays to end the game.”
On never leaving the clutch zone:
“I think it starts with my confidence. It comes with my work ethic. I think most importantly, knowing we’re on the road, and knowing my teammates have my back, I think that’s the biggest thing in an environment like this. The trust they have in me and the trust I have in them, it’s got us to this point. I mean, I’m very thankful for them every single night we go out there together.”
On closing out Game 1:
“I don’t want to say calmness, but I think we know what we have to do. I think we are a pretty together group. Be able to trust each other and still have each other’s back and know that we just have to keep chipping away, chipping away. It’s just a credit to the mentality that we have as a team.”
On sticking together through adversity:
“I was happy by how we stuck together. It wasn’t really our night. Wasn’t my night most of the night. But I liked how resilient we were tonight. We kept chipping away.”
On the team’s comfort late in games:
“I think we know what we have to do. I think we are a pretty together group. Be able to trust each other and still have each other’s back and know that we just have to keep chipping away, chipping away. It’s just a credit to the mentality that we have as a team. But we can’t just be satisfied with that. We have a long way to go and we have a lot of things to do to be better, but happy we came away with a win.”
On Josh Hart’s reliability:
“Whatever you need from him, he’s going to execute. That’s just who he is. He’s always been that way. I can’t explain it. He just has a knack for doing things like that, and in crucial times as well. It’s a credit to who he is as a player.”
On his injury status heading into Game 2:
“I’ll be alright.”
OG Anunoby
On his second-half explosion:
“My teammates were finding me and I was being aggressive and ready to shoot. Just shoot with confidence.”
Karl-Anthony Towns
On the Knicks’ defense carrying the offense:
“Today, our offense didn’t show up until late and our defense was there from the beginning, and that’s what saved us. If we can find a way to get the offense going and continue to improve our defense — not only just keep it where it was tonight, but improve on it — we’ll give ourselves a chance to win every night.”
On the collective concern after Brunson’s injury scare:
“You know, when we all saw him limp off, we were worried not only because he’s Jalen Brunson but more because he’s our brother and we are a family in our locker room. Just worried about his health. But when we were on the court and I saw him walking back out to the bench, it was a relief feeling just to know he’s safe. That was really at the end of the day all we care about it is his safety.”
On defending Victor Wembanyama:
“You’re just trying to make it difficult. He’s an amazing, a one of a kind player that this league has ever seen, so you just try to make it as difficult as possible for him.”
On sensing his mother’s presence:
“To be honest with y’all, and I don’t want to sound sugarcoating in any way… I don’t know what it was but I just felt a calming (presence) and a peace that had to be coming from the woman above. In a way, I felt like I was seeing her in the stands. It was fun and was really comforting. It felt like a certain presence that was here that was very comforting and very loving. I felt like I could have fun out here in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, which is the weirdest thing.”
On Brunson’s clutch skills:
“With the ball in his hands, I’m never surprised. I tell you, that last shot — I think it was a shoot-floater. That was nasty, I ain’t going to lie.”
On trusting his preparation:
“You just trust your work and you trust your decision-making, and I always say [I want to be] aggressive in play-making.”
Mitchell Robinson
On playing in the NBA Finals with a broken finger:
“I’ve been here for eight years. There was no way I was going to miss this.”
On how he suffered the injury:
“I’m here to talk about basketball.”
Landry Shamet
On staying ready for his role:
“My job is my job, and it remains the same: to be ready for whatever situation or moment you’re asked to step into, and that’s the only thing I think about. I’m not thinking about how it started, anything in the past. … We’ll do the whole reflection and look back thing when it’s all said and done. We are all focused on our job and how we can best help each other try to get a win.”
On maintaining perspective through highs and lows:
“I’m a believer that everything you go through … prepares you for where you’re ultimately headed in one way or another, even if it doesn’t line up perfectly. I’m really grateful for all the highs and lows I’ve been through personally. All I know right now is that I’m here. Like I said, I’m trying not to get too reflective, open up that can of worms of looking back on everything, quite yet. There’s [three] more wins between me and doing that, that I’m more worried about.”
On Jalen Brunson’s leadership:
“He’s our captain for a reason. He’s not afraid of the moment.”
On the team’s unselfish locker room:
“Truthfully, with this team — I’ve said it a number of times — we’ve got a group that truly roots for each other, wants each other to succeed. It’s special when you have a locker room where those ulterior motives bleed into your locker room. Look at our bench, different guys throughout the playoffs that have been inserted, have had to step up, play bigger roles in certain situations. There’s a lot of reasons on paper where it would look like you could get a little bitter about so-and-so is taking so-and-so’s minutes, whatever the case may be. Truthfully, this team, we have a special group where we all root for each other, know that job and role could look different for anybody any night.”
Miles McBride
On Karl-Anthony Towns’ Game 1 performance:
“Honestly, with KAT, I feel like when he’s locked in he’s not just doing the scoring, doing the assisting, but he’s setting the pick (on the pick) and roll, and he’s diving hard, and then defensively he’s bringing a physical presence. What he did for us was not just guard him at a high level, but he kept him from getting those second-chance opportunities, which I think is something Wemby does phenomenal. I feel like that’s huge. Taking away a first shot is big, but to take away that second one was big for us.”
On the late surge earning them a Game 1 victory:
“I think once we settled down and locked in as a team, we changed the game.”
On Knicks fans traveling to San Antonio:
“It’s not surprising at this point. We know they’re going to be there and gonna be loud, so shoutout Knicks nation.”
Josh Hart
On his second-half energy after running up and down the court all evening:
“I had a lot of energy. I think I only played like seven minutes in the first half. I knew I had to come out, be aggressive. It was just come in and inject energy.”
On Jalen Brunson closing games:
“We’re extremely comfortable. We want him with the ball at the end. He’s one of those rare or few guys if you’re in a one or two possession game at the end, and if he has the ball, you’re extremely comfortable, extremely calm. I don’t want to give him too much credit, like I’m looking at him in awe or something. But we’re extremely comfortable with that. He had big shots, and he had big plays.”
On the team’s toughness:
“We’ve just got a lot of tough guys. A lot of guys that don’t quit. You know, everybody in this locker room has had adversity. They wouldn’t be here if they didn’t, and they wouldn’t be here if they didn’t make it through that adversity. So whenever we’re down, we don’t panic. We continue to play our brand of basketball, and you know, that’s always … that’s cool.”
Mikal Bridges
On the Knicks’ approach to Game 2 after stealing home advantage:
“We take care of what’s in front of us. Another game Friday. Start zero-zero.”
On the team’s hunger:
“We’re going to keep fighting, no matter what. We all just were hungry and desperate. That’s all we’re going to be. Every single day. Every single game.”
James Dolan
On doubling down on his Knicks’ Finals take:
“I feel we’re going to win. I really think we’re going to win.”
Mitch Johnson
On Wembanyama’s accountability:
“He definitely holds himself accountable. I would suspect he’ll learn a lot of things from tonight’s game and come out with a good approach in Game 2.”
On getting Wembanyama moving toward the rim:
“We got to get him moving in space and toward the rim, whether that’s on rolls or running in transition. But we need the pressure on the rim and the force in the paint.”
On losing the offensive rebounding battle:
“The offensive rebounds crushed us. Twenty-three second-chance points. We’re up one point, 93-94, 94-95, get them to miss. Brunson hits a 3, they go on an 11-0 run. Tough.”
On defending Jalen Brunson:
“He’s a tremendous player that’s skilled, picks his spots, knows his angles. Shoots contested shots without being sped up. He’s a phenomenal player and we just have to keep making him work. He had a phenomenal game. He got going and got a few in a row, but 30 points on 31 shots, is something you probably want to keep making him work for those points. Probably some of the other stuff that we can control, instead of him making or missing shots.”
On fatigue as a factor:
“I don’t think it was fatigue. I’m sure guys got tired at times. I don’t think anyone’s performance was based on fatigue, I think we just need to be sharper and execute better. And continue to work the game and not fight it at times and play the right way.”
Victor Wembanyama
On Game 1 mistakes and how to fix them:
“It’s not like I have anything to figure out. It’s almost like I have to be normal, not even good… It’s like just doing the right things is enough… When we shoot ourselves in the foot, this is why I’m not worried. We’re going to be so much better, I’m going to be so much better.”
On adjusting his play after the loss:
“I agree with the coach. Every team guards differently, I’m gonna figure it out. I was bad tonight, it’s not more complicated than that. I think we let that one go.”
On defending Brunson better moving forward:
“He’s an elite player, and we don’t have many more chances. It’s a first-to-four series. So we’re going to have time to work on it.”
On being down in a series before:
“We’ve been down in a series before. I’m not kicking myself about anything, really. I’m not worried in the slightest.”
On a fan running onto the court for a selfie:
“I’ve never been in that situation. I didn’t know how to act. It really surprised me.”
Dylan Harper
On the Spurs’ Game 2 mindset after falling 0-1:
“We’re confident but also have a chip on our shoulder from this game we just lost. You never want to lose and going into this next game, we’re going to be even more hungrier and keep on proving.”
On fatigue impacting Game 1:
“I feel both teams were fatigued, really. I just feel like they executed better.”
Devin Vassell
On the need for better rebounding:
“We know we’ve got to control the boards. With this series, they like to crash the glass — KAT, OG, all them. Can’t just be one half where we’re crashing the glass. We’ve got to help Vic. We’ve got to help the bigs down there. That’s going to be a huge part of this series.”
Charles Barkley
On the Knicks’ poor first-half defense in Game 1:
“It’s really been terrible defense on the Knicks. Cause if you actually look at [Julian Champagnie’s] threes. Why is he wide open? There’s no reason to be leaving him wide open.”
On how the Knicks can beat the Spurs:
“The Spurs can’t guard the pick and roll. When [the Knicks] run the pick and roll with KAT they get something good everytime. We have to give KAT his flowers.”
