You wake up one morning and all of a sudden the Knicks have won 12 consecutive games…
… the latest of them, Game 1 of the freaking NBA Finals.
Here’s more Bulletin material than I’ve ever put together in a single piece. Enjoy while patiently waiting for tip-off later today.
Mike Brown
On Knicks fans taking over in San Antonio:
“Our fans have been fantastic. They have been fantastic on the road, and to see them around San Antonio, to hear them in the arena…“
On telling the offense to adapt to Wembanyama’s positioning on defense:
“We are trying to keep it as simple for our guys as possible. And they have to take advantage of where Wemby is because he’s just so impactful defensively.”
On the team’s resilience late in games:
“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. They try to bring energy and multiple efforts while being physical without sending them to the free throw line. And then, they know we’ve got to play fast. You’re playing against good teams now, and you can’t go against a set defense all the time. We’re down double digits tonight, and we were also down double digits 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 Brunson fighting through injuries in Game 1:
“I’m too emotional when I get caught up in injuries, so when he got hurt and he went out, [I said], ‘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 Jose Alvarado stabilizing the team:
“He was huge. We talked about it during our film session. I pointed it out before we got started. When Jalen went out the game, he came in, and he kind of stabilized us because we were floundering a little bit. He got us into our offense. He was really, really good defensively. He’s always into the game. He’s always present. So for him to be able to come and hold down the fort the way that he did was much needed.”
On Josh Hart’s Game 1 impact:
“When you look at what he shot from the field, you wouldn’t think that he was probably the most impactful guy on the game. He was huge. He helped us with our pace. … He guarded a lot of different guys. … He rebounded the basketball. He was great on the weak side defensively. He impacted the game in so many different ways for us.”
On Mitchell Robinson’s Game 1 effectiveness despite his injury:
“He caught a lob. He was still a vertical threat. If you don’t pull in to tag him, it’s a dunk, and when he rolls like he rolls and creates that weak side to pull in, our guys have to spray the basketball. And then defensively, I thought he was pretty good, defensively, as well, trying to rebound, keeping those guys off the glass.”
On Karl-Anthony Towns’ defensive presence against Victor Wembanyama:
“KAT has been really present with everything that we’re doing. When you’re present, you give yourself a chance to really lock into the small details that are in front of you. He’s done that at a really high rate. Last night he was really good in transition defensively. Probably one of the best he’s been all season. The coverages, he was really good. Wemby, man, obviously iconic player, you’re not going to stop him, you hope he misses. You got to throw different people, different coverages at him. You got to try not to send him to the free-throw line. We sent him to the free-throw line 13 times, but KAT himself did a pretty decent job of trying to lead with his chest while being physical. Again, I think it’s all due to him wanting to do whatever he can to help the team while being present.”
On challenging Towns and the team defensively:
“I had to challenge everybody, not just him. I challenged everybody, probably individually, a handful of times, and the team. KAT is smart. He’s got a good feel. He’s got better feet than what you think. He’s long. He’s long and he’s strong. Those combinations bode well for a guy defensively. It’s just about embracing it and staying present while understanding what the small details of your job should be.”
On staying focused on the task at hand during the Finals:
“We have to keep taking it one game at a time and stay present and see what happens.”
Karl-Anthony Towns
On not feeling comfortable being up in the Finals:
“I don’t think of anything like that, the 1-1, 2-0. I just think it’s 0-0. The next game is the most important game of the year, so just continue to stay in the present, not worry about what the future may look like, not worry about what we’ve done in the past. Just cancel all that out and just worry about the present. [Friday] when we step on the court should be the same determination, desperation, energy level and physicality needed for a win.”
On New York City’s vibes through the Finals run:
“It’s something in the city. You feel that energy in the city; the grit, the grind, the hard work you’ve got to put in to make in the city. I think we reflect all our fans and lifestyles and what it takes to make it in New York City when we step on the court with a Knicks jersey.”
On embracing his defensive role:
“I just want to impact winning. Whatever the team needs me to do to impact winning and to help us get over the hump and get that win on that night, I’m willing to do. Last night was a night where a lot of things happened. Jalen got hurt, changed my role. Jalen came back, I had to change my role again. Throughout the game, you’re changing your role three, four times. But whatever my role is, I’ve got to be the best at it and impact winning. I thought last night I did a good job of whatever my role was called to be, and I wanted to be a star in that role.”
On Brunson’s clutch shot and injury scare:
“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. 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. We want to — [we were] 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 is his safety.”
Jalen Brunson
On Knicks fans in San Antonio:
“Our fans, they’re amazing – my family and I, we’ve felt the love since day one. They’ve been nothing but supportive. I would not take them for granted.”
On Josh Hart’s energy:
“His energy is relentless; it doesn’t stop – he eats candy all the time. He’s a big kid with an absurd amount of energy.”
On the Knicks chemistry:
“It’s all about coming together and figuring out what we have to do to be better. The chemistry that we have is still continuing to grow and that allows us to play better.”
On trusting his instincts in crunch time:
“You never know what’s going to happen. Plays are going to happen, and you can’t really script what’s really going to go on.”
On pulling off another monster comeback in Game 1:
“It’s a position we obviously don’t want to be in, but it’s always a next-play mentality. We have to control the things that we can control and our team is going to go on runs. Things are going to happen, and somehow we bounce back. We continue to find a way and just kind of keep chipping away. We knew one play was not going to bring us all the way back but we just kept chipping away.”
Mikal Bridges
On the mindset heading into Game 2:
“We got to be better, and I know we will be in Game 2. Our biggest game is our next game because it’s our next game. That’s how we look at it. It’s always just 1-0 if you win. After that game, it’s back to 0-0. I don’t know if we look at it eight straight, nine straight, seven straight [wins], whatever it is. We look at it, win this game, after that it’s 0-0, learn what you got to do better for the next game.”
On responding to adversity after falling behind big in Game 1:
“You don’t want to play from behind, but I think it’s just when adversity hits, who are you going to be? I think when adversity hits, we’re a tough team mentally and physically. So just keep staying the course and just keep fighting no matter what.”
On Towns’ growth with the Knicks:
“He’s been unbelievable.”
On Brunson’s toughness:
“He’s got that mental toughness and he’s going to fight no matter what.”
On his early days at Villanova with Josh Hart:
“He was a bully when I first got to campus. I had nothing wrong with him. He didn’t like me at the beginning. There might have been a little fear of a 6-foot-6 lanky kid who was looking pretty solid. I think he had a little fear factor.”
OG Anunoby
On Jalen Brunson’s confidence:
“Jalen, whoever he plays against, he’s a great player. No matter who he plays against, he always has the same confidence in himself.”
On the Knicks’ defensive approach to dealing with the Spurs:
“We just tried to be physical. We don’t want people to be comfortable.”
On shooting the minute he find any space:
“Whenever I feel I have any space, I’m always ready to shoot. Just like any other.”
Mitchell Robinson
On playing in the NBA Finals:
“This is what we play for – I’ve been here 8 years”
On Brunson’s clutch moments:
“We’ve seen it numerous times, we get hype – when he starts doing that, we cheer him on”
On what to expect from the Spurs in Game 2:
“A desperate team”
Josh Hart
On what fuels his energy:
“Humility and a willingness to sacrifice…I found it with prayer and my faith. When you have a group of guys that have that, that breeds a championship culture.”
On Brunson’s fan interaction:
“I didn’t really see it… He’s always pretty calm, composed. I’m sure the fan said something crazy to get him going.”
On Jose Alvarado’s journey and presence:
“Willing to work, had a chip on his shoulder… On the bench, he’s up, he’s talking. You have the ultimate confidence in someone like that.”
On Brunson being underrated:
“He’s still underrated in the league. He keeps proving people wrong.”
On forcing Wembanyama to contest shots to open gaps inside:
“The biggest thing, you want to get shots up. It doesn’t matter what shot you get up, just get it on the rim. With Wemby contesting it, now he’s out of the play and someone like (Mitchell Robinson) is down there by themselves.”
On sacrificing in the Finals spotlight:
“It takes humility and just a willingness to sacrifice. We’re in the NBA Finals. There’s millions of people watching. It’s easy to get wrapped up in human nature of wanting to get recognition, wanting to score the ball, wanting to show people what you can do on the biggest stage. That’s not everyone’s calling and not everyone’s assignment. I know for me, that’s not really my assignment. … When you have a group of guys that have that willingness to sacrifice and that humility, that breeds a championship culture.”
On the Nova Knicks brotherhood:
“It’s something that is surreal. Whenever you’re in college and in that locker room, you know the goal is the NBA. You know the percent chance of you all being on the same team is slim, if not none. It’s something you talk about and dream about, but you know the reality is almost impossible. The fact that it actually came to fruition is super cool because I know the time that these guys put in and I know where their hearts are. We already share a bond and (are) brothers for life, and this is just another step. Obviously, this isn’t the ultimate goal, but you just keep adding memories. These are memories that we’ll have for a lifetime.”
Jordan Clarkson
On Rick Brunson’s message during Game 1:
“[He said] just leave the refs alone, focus on what we’ve gotta get done, and that’s what we can control. Those are uncontrollable situations that we’re in. We just wanna come in here, keep continuing to put our will in the game and stay locked-in.”
Landry Shamet
On fighting back from deficits:
“We’ve put ourselves in situations where we’ve got to fight back from a deficit, and we did that, and we chipped away. We started focusing on ourselves and doing the right things. And slowly but surely, that led to us cutting the deficit and ultimately getting the win. [The Spurs] played great through the majority of the game and put us in a tough spot, but you know, we found the resolve to figure it out late. So that’s encouraging but we’ve got to clean some stuff up.”
On Knicks fans traveling in the postseason:
“Knicks fans have shown throughout the regular season and obviously in the playoffs that they are willing to travel, and it definitely shows up, makes a difference. We notice it.”
Jose Alvarado
On seeing Brunson head to the locker room in Game 1 and stepping up in his absence:
“(My first thought is) He better come back. My second thought is, this is what I do. I wasn’t scared of the moment. This is something I live for, and I just want to take advantage of it and do what the team needs.”
On challenging Victor Wembanyama one-on-one:
“I don’t fear nobody. He’s a great player, he’s going to block shots regardless of what you do. That one went my way.”
Miles McBride
On Brunson’s playoff focus:
“Every year he continues to be more locked in”
On trying to pull Wembanyama out of the paint:
“If you’re able to pull him out of the paint, you have to take advantage.”
On staying focused in a hostile road environment:
“Honestly, [he said] we’ve just gotta stay solid. We can’t let that get in the way of what we’re trying to accomplish. We’re in a hostile environment, and there’s a human aspect to it all, so we’ve just gotta stay solid and play our game.”
On locking in when trailing:
“I’d say you start keying-in on details that got you put in that hole. And usually for us, it’s never been about an Xs and Os thing. It’s about getting to the loose balls, getting to an offensive rebound here or on the other end cutting with force and playing off the ball a little bit more and getting guys involved. So it’s things like that.”
On Mike Brown’s approach to the Knicks’ second unit:
“Opportunity was the main thing. He’s putting a lot of guys in different spots and he’s just allowing us to be us. We can play at a high level. I feel like a lot of guys can be starters at different places. We’re all happy here, we’re happy to impact the game at such a high level.”
Mitch Johnson
On adapting to the Knicks’ schemes within a long series:
“We’ve been consistent in that regard. I think one thing we have learned in our three series is that series are long. Games are long. Things shift quickly, whether that’s health, who’s playing well or hot, quote/unquote, at the time. Teams at this stage typically have shown the ability to evolve on the fly and improve within a series. That’s how you see these series go back and forth, and these teams make great adjustments and take advantage of those.”
Victor Wembanyama
On losing Game 1 and the team’s mindset:
“Really, I think the reason we lost that game isn’t even technical. It’s not even technical, tactical. We need to approach the game with a better mental state. We just need to play our game. We just need to be normal. We don’t need to do anything incredible.”
On the Spurs’ resilience:
“It’s very reassuring. We know we’re not here by chance. We’ve been through some weird situations. Yes, it’s reassuring to know that these guys, the 18 guys we got, are built this way, are resilient.”
Stephon Castle
On not overreacting to Game 1:
“I think Vic said it best. I don’t think we have anything to be too worried about. Obviously, we feel like we’re the better team. We didn’t play well, still had a chance to win, so… If we take one thing from that, just going back to being ourselves, focusing on the right things.”
On settling into another playoff series they already trail:
“We’ve been down in a series before. I think Coach Mitch (Johnson) said it best. Really all playoffs, it’s taken us more than a half to get settled into the game. Yeah, just trying to be ourselves.”
On isolation and shot selection issues through Game 1:
“It could have been that. I think, for the most part, we didn’t make the extra pass as much as we usually do. We settled a lot more than we usually do. I think coach preaches a lot: try and find better each possession, try and find the best shot. I think we got satisfied with, probably, a decent look, knowing that we can make those kind of shots. I think we got satisfied with that a lot more than we usually do throughout the year. I think it cost us.”
On still having a chance late to beat the Knicks:
“Even playing like that, not playing the way we wanted to, we still had a chance to win.”
Larry Brown
On recruiting Jalen Brunson in high school:
“I recruited Jalen in high school when I was coaching SMU and watched him play in high school. I watched him take a mediocre high school team and win the state championship. So you can’t measure what that kid is about. You can say the same in a lot of ways with Chauncey. When he was young, he was super athletic. But as he got older, he was super smart. He figured it out.”
On Karl-Anthony Towns’ defensive growth:
“Towns, I thought, is maybe not the defender that can carry you to a championship. But he has really, really sacrificed and tried to guard. And I think that’s been one of the keys. … A lot of teams went after Towns and during this stretch I think he’s made unbelievable sacrifices to try to guard, try to rebound, try to do the right thing. And that has been really important.”
Ashley Howard
On Josh Hart’s competitiveness at Villanova:
“The Josh Hart you guys see now, he was that from Day 1. He was fierce, tough, nasty and a competitor. Lo and behold, what ends up happening is that you get a Mikal Bridges who is a young freshman and was committed the whole year to improving his body, doing skill work and watching film. His game day was practice. His game day was against Josh Hart, this dude who we all knew was the toughest and nastiest on the floor. He made Mikal better.”
Mike Nardi
On Hart and Bridges competing in practice:
“Any time Josh got his shot blocked and there was a change of possession, the next time Mikal got the ball, whether it was on the break or chasing him down or within the half court, it was like big brother versus little brother. Josh tried to send a message. We all believe that helped lead to Mikal becoming who he is. They were competing every single day.”
Walt Frazier
On counting Brunson out early in Game 1:
“He had his poor shooting and he was hobbling around, went to the locker room. I counted him out, man. I thought, ‘He’s not coming back.’ And all of a sudden he got a second wind. That’s why he’s the reigning Mr. Clutch. And that’s why this team is where they are.”
On Brunson fighting through pain:
“Jalen kept struggling through it, and you could see he was hurting. Kudos to the coach for keeping him out there and thinking Jalen can still get it back. I just think it’s a season of destiny for them now. Everything is falling into place.”
Charlie Ward
On teasing big-head Brunson as a child:
“Larry used to talk about Jalen’s head being bigger than his body and used to mess with Rick about that all the time. Jalen was small back then.”
Larry Johnson
On waiting for this Knicks moment:
“I’ve just been waiting because we were bad for a long time. Instead of coming to the Knicks, Kevin Durant went to Brooklyn. And of course, LeBron [James] did his little thing [opting for Miami in 2010]. It was a while to get stars to come here. Amar’e [Stoudemire came to the Knicks], and then we got [Carmelo Anthony]. But I don’t think we were ever [close] to winning the chip. I’m thinking the time is now, even if they lose this Finals, they’re still on the verge of winning the chip. It’s been fun watching these guys and most of us, especially that ’99 season, remember little Jalen [Brunson] running around.”
On his initial skepticism about the Knicks’ coaching change:
“I was a little skeptical because I’m a big time Thibodeau fan. I don’t know if anybody can deny what they’re doing now. [But] if they win this championship, it’s somewhat similar to that Golden State era. [Former Warriors head coach] Mark Jackson built that foundation and then Steve Kerr took it over.”
Patrick Ewing
On the 1999 Finals loss:
“That definitely hurt. It hurt me more than the [1994 Finals] loss to [the Houston Rockets] – the fact that I was not able to play.”
On the city’s reaction to a potential 2026 title:
“You see the way the city is reacting right now. They might burn the city down.”
On Jalen Brunson’s makeup:
“He has thick skin. To be a star in New York, you can’t let the pressure bother you. You got to block out the noise. Everything comes in circles. We waited our turn. We tried to do different things to get our guys back to this point [by chasing stars in the past]. But I thought when they brought Jalen onto the team, he is New York basketball through the way that he carries himself, the way that he performs.”
On watching Brunson grow up:
“I look at pictures of [Jalen] and my daughters when he was little, them carrying him around on their backs. And now he’s carrying the team. The rest of the guys are doing their part, carrying the whole city on their backs.”
On Brunson’s legacy and rooting for him:
“This is a kid that I’ve known since he was 2. I played with his dad. I want him and the team to be as successful as they can be. I’m not worrying about who is the greatest Knick of all time. I’m just enjoying the ride. Now I can sit back and enjoy the show, whereas back then I was focused on trying to get the job done. Hopefully, these guys will be able to do it.”
Spike Lee
On New York City’s energy around the Finals:
“New York City is on fire, no pun intended. It’s amazing. People are smiling, talking to strangers, wearing orange and blue – what sports can do. We’ve got a squad, we’ve got a coach, and basketball is New York City’s game.”
Isiah Thomas
On Brunson being capable of winning a title:
“Jalen is absolutely good enough to win it all. As small players, we tend to get overlooked even though we’re always beating bigger players. In people’s minds there seems to be some height and weight requirement to win a championship. Jalen won (an Illinois) state title in high school. He won two national titles in college, and now he’s in the NBA Finals. He’s just a winner. People say, ‘Well, Jalen’s not as good as this one or that one,’ but when you put him between the lines with those guys, his teams win and those guys’ teams lose. What the hell are we doubting Jalen for? People say he doesn’t have the height or body type, but he beats all the people who do have those things.”
On Brunson’s skill set against Wembanyama:
“But nobody in my lifetime ever had to face a person like Jalen has to face in Wemby. Wemby is such a unique talent that the entire basketball community is trying to figure out what his weaknesses are. With big shot blockers, you have to shoot it earlier, shoot it before they get there, and shoot it higher. Jalen can do that against Wemby because he can play and score from anywhere. He’s got the footwork and he can play inside, mid-range, from the 3-point line. Jalen has got it all. He’s the total package, and he can neutralize people who are bigger than him.”
Kendrick Perkins
On the Spurs’ problem against the Knicks:
“Imma tell the Spurs fans this, y’all got a problem…y’all have a serious problem. The Defensive Player of the Year got exposed last night. Imma say this. Yes, Towns played the best defensive game of his life last night, but offensively, he showed the world that Wemby can’t guard him. He is a matchup problem for the Spurs. The way his ability to stretch the floor, and then he showed his versatility by his ability to put the ball on the floor and get to the basket. He was going through Wemby’s chest. He wasn’t shying away from physicality. And when they decided to put a smaller player on him, guess what the Knicks did? They searched him out. Here we go, go to you. And when Wemby came to double, he was dropping no-looks, he was dropping passes, he was finding shooters.”
Paul Pierce
On the Knicks being under more pressure to win the Finals:
“Who is under the most pressure to perform in the finals? It is clearly the Knicks. They haven’t won a championship in 50-plus years. They haven’t been to the finals in over 26 years. The mecca of basketball is New York. Do you see what the streets look like? When I tell you the weight of the world is on [the] New York Knicks backs.”
Kevin Garnett
On Wembanyama being too emotional after just winning the WCF:
“He’s crying in the motherf–ing Western Conference finals. That was too emotional for me. He got four more games to try to get. You gotta go through the Finals now. You still gotta be even-keeled right here.”
Stephen A. Smith
On taking credit for the Knicks’ Finals run:
“I deserve some credit, so I’m gonna take it… when I called the Knicks out, I almost had a stroke. You understand, on national television. They didn’t lose since.”
Jeremy Lin
On the Spurs’ late-game plan:
“The focus for sure is the second half where they were minus-17, but specifically even in the fourth quarter, I didn’t love the late-game offensive game plan. It was too much Wemby ISO. It just seemed like everything was difficult, everything was hard, everything was contested.”
On the need for the Spurs to create better looks for Wembanyama:
“Can we get him in more spontaneous, impulsive actions? Can we get him in some pin-downs? Can he set more screens? Can guards come set screens for him? It felt like every time down the floor they were giving him the ball, and KAT [Karl-Anthony Towns] was doing a great job of playing defense, and Wemby was tired. So how are they able to create different actions so that the Knicks aren’t seeing the same thing every single time?”
On the Spurs’ bench production:
“Another piece that’s really important is Keldon Johnson, who played only eight minutes—Sixth Man of the Year—a lot of minutes went to Harrison Barnes. I’m not sure what’s happening there, but there is going to be a different level of production that needs to be had from other players stepping in. Dylan Harper obviously had an amazing game, but we need Keldon Johnson.”
Shaquille O’Neal
On Wembanyama’s need to adjust:
“You’ve got to do a better job of making adjustments. Yeah, San Antonio definitely has to. Coach said we’ve got to get Victor the ball a little bit more inside. And for Victor, he’s got to play better. The way he played, 6-for-21 is not going to get it done. Ten threes is not going to get it done. You have to make some mental adjustments.”
On Brunson exceeding expectations:
“They did it by effort, a lot of guys played well. Shoutout to Hart – 15 rebounds. KAT played well with 18 [points]… Brunson had his moment in the third quarter where he took over. I admit before the game, Game 1 is always a feel-out game. I was anxious to see how he was going to do against those tough four defenders – he just showed me, Kenny and Chuck that he’s ready for the lights. He’s ready for the big lights.”
On the Knicks winning by committee:
“Third quarter and fourth quarter he carried a little bit but the others for the Knicks definitely stepped it up. Again, shoutout to Hart with 15 rebounds, Shamet hit some timely threes first half. They all played well. Alvarado. They did it by committee and that’s how you win championships, by committee.”
Adam Silver
On Donald Trump attending Game 3:
“I’d say the President, of course, is welcome to attend Game 3. And this President, Donald Trump, before he ever ran for office, he was a big Knicks fan.”
On using sports as common ground:
“I think sports, in particular, is something where we can emphasize what we have in common, not what pulls us apart, that it creates a sense of belonging. We’re seeing that in New York, and I think President Trump is very much a New Yorker, and I’m thrilled that yet another New Yorker wants to participate in the enthusiasm and the joy around this Knicks team.”
On the failed peace efforts between Charles Oakley and James Dolan:
“It is a shame in that I tried, Michael Jordan tried, too, as you said, to broker peace between Charles and Jim Dolan. Our efforts were unsuccessful. I think it’s unfortunate for the NBA that this is an ongoing situation. But as you know, it’s currently wrapped up in litigation. I tried my best. So I don’t really see anything else I can do at the moment.”
COVERS INTEL: Sonny Gray drops his four-seam usage to 9% against right-handed hitters, forcing him into a cutter-heavy mix against a Yankees lineup that leads the league in barrel rate.
