Mike Brown

On Jalen Brunson’s MVP-level performance on Sunday:

“For him to score 47, especially on 15-for-26 shooting, 6-for-13 from three-point range, and 11-for-11 at the free-throw line while dishing out eight assists, that’s what he’s capable of doing, and that’s what MVPs are supposed to do.”

On managing minutes in a must-win game:

“You try to sit them as long as you can, but if you feel the game slipping, it’s my job to help us win in the best way possible. It’s just a matter of I know we’re in a little bit of a funk right now. We’ve got to keep fighting and get our feet back underneath us. It’s me just throwing him out there thinking, ‘OK, we’ve got to go get this game.’ I tried to sit him as long as I can. Let’s go get this game.”

On wanting his MVP on the floor:

“You’re struggling a little bit offensively, you want to have an MVP of the league on your side. For him to score 47, especially on 15 of 26, 6 of 13 from the three-point line, 11 of 11 from the free-throw line while dishing out eight assists, that’s what he’s capable of doing and that’s what MVPs are supposed to do on nights like tonight.”

On Josh Hart’s versatility:

“He’s a guy that just does everything well. If you’re not careful, you may look at it and say, ‘Well, he can’t really do this.’ Nah, nah, he does everything well. He does a couple things at an elite level, and when you have a guy like that who’s pretty selfless, it can bode well to connecting the group, no matter who he’s on the floor with.”

On the need to keep up post–NBA Cup form:

“Prior to the NBA Cup, especially the Final, I liked where we were. I thought we were really trending in the right direction. It’s a little funky. And we’re trying to navigate our way through making sure we handle the post-Cup. I’m not gonna beat them up for it, and I’m not gonna belabor it too much because this is uncharted territory for me as a coach and for them as players, too. Prior to the championship game, I liked where we were on both sides of the ball.”

On the inevitable ebbs and flows of the season:

“You’re not just gonna do this. As a coach, I’m being greedy right now. I just want to do this, but the reality of it is, you’re gonna do this, then you’re gonna take a couple steps backwards, and hopefully it’s a couple and it’s not four, or five, or six steps backwards, and then you’re gonna go here again with it, especially in an 82-game season. I just have to make sure that I stay here and try to continue to help us grow in the right direction and keep the guys uplifted when we’re not playing our best basketball.”

On recognizing Jalen Brunson’s potential for the first time a few years ago:

“When he was in Dallas and he was a young fella, I knew he had a chance. We played them in the playoffs and at his size, and even as a young guy, we had some pretty good wing defenders. We put Draymond on him.”

On how he approached defending Brunson during Warriors matchups:

“At that time, I didn’t know if there were many power forwards that guarded him. I was the defensive coordinator, so he was a terror back then. We ran double teams at him, so I knew he was a really good player.”

On Brunson’s evolution as a player:

“Obviously, being able to coach him, plus he’s older now, you get to see all the other stuff. His work ethic, how competitive he is, confidence, all that other stuff, but back then he was a problem.”

Jalen Brunson

On wanting to stay on the floor:

“I want to play. But if Mike wants to do something, then obviously we’ll talk about it. I have the utmost faith and confidence in him. But obviously I want to play.”

On always protecting the ball:

“No turnovers is what I strive for. Obviously, sometimes when you’re aggressive, you make aggressive mistakes. The passive mistakes, I can’t live with. Just trying to hold the ball as much as I can and not give it to the other team.”

On showing grace after losses, such as Friday’s to the Sixers:

“No. We’ve gotta hold each other to a higher standard. I’ve gotta hold myself to a higher standard. It was very winnable. To answer your question: No.”

On his hot shooting night:

“What can I say. The ball was going in the hoop.”

On Josh Hart’s all-around value:

“His impact, you can’t really tell from the stat sheet. But by the eye test, everyone knows that he’s a competitor. He brings a winning style of basketball to this team.”

Karl-Anthony Towns

On winning despite his awful night:

“This is awesome to be able to win a game like this. I feel what’s great about our team is that we’re showing how we got so many different ways to win, and I think that’s going to prove well for us in the playoffs.”

On Brunson’s performance:

“He’s a special player. I think we all know that. It doesn’t surprise you when he has nights like that.”

On finding different ways to win:

“I think we all have the same idea. When we’re open, we shoot it. If we’re not, we look for a teammate.”

On Hart’s contributions to the Knicks:

“I think he does a great job pushing the pace, and he presents a different… obstacle for the opponents to have to deal with. I think that he’s done a great job of utilizing his game, what he does best, and maximizing our team’s chance to win.”

Josh Hart

On the Knicks’ decision to share thier NBA Cup money with members of the staff:

“I don’t think it was a hard decision. Some of those people don’t get a bonus and they’re working to make sure we’re at the top of the game, no matter who they are. We want to make sure those people are also compensated for their extra time and their efforts.”

On coordinating the staff payment with Brunson:

“It’s something we talked about before. Me and Brunson talked about it at one point. And we were like, ‘Yeah, we’ll figure it out.’ We want to make sure we take care of everyone.”

Mikal Bridges

On trusting Brunson late:

“We had to get good stops and just let JB do his magic.”

On Hart’s skill set:

Josh gets in (and) he’s probably one of the fastest with the ball; he’s going to the rim, or he’s driving in the paint, trying to find guys. I think his ability to get in transition and push and create opens up a lot.”

Erik Spoelstra

On Jalen Brunson’s competitiveness:

“He is an incredible competitor. If you want to beat a great competitor, you have to go above and beyond. You can’t just play well and you can’t just compete well. You’ve got to put him away.”

On Brunson’s closing ability:

“You’ve got to put possessions away, and he’s going to put his imprint on the game. That’s what great players do. He has a great knack for it. He’s relentless.”