Jalen Brunson praised his teammates’ contributions following the Knicks’ 112-100 victory over the Lakers at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.
“Comes and works every day. It’s a pleasure playing with him,” Brunson said, reflecting on Landry Shamet’s role.
Brunson admitted it felt unusual seeing Luka Doncic in a Lakers uniform. “Yeah, definitely weird. I think we all expected him to be in Dallas for the longest time. He’s a Laker now and playing great.”
The point guard emphasized the importance of team offense when shots weren’t falling. “Shots not falling, you got to impact the game somehow somewhere else. I kept seeing two people and just trying to make the right play at the right time… they were knocking shots down and the way we were moving the ball was great.”
He credited New York’s third-quarter surge to defense and physicality. “Defense, our pressure, our physicality turned up a little bit… that was big time for us. That’s what we needed and what we need to win.”
Brunson highlighted the recent defensive improvements under Mike Brown. “Schematically it’s helped, but the biggest part of our defense has been communication, our physicality, accountability… just being on the same page.”
On his own defensive growth, Brunson said, “I feel like I’ve been better recently. Going to give effort every single time, being a below-the-rim rim protector with my charges… just finding a way to impact the game on that side of the floor as best I can.”
Brunson also noted the team’s overall attention to detail. “It’s been a blessing to play with guys who put their bodies on the line every night. They know when to make the right play, when to find a teammate, and how to keep moving the ball. That’s why we had 30 assists tonight.”
He praised the balance in scoring across the roster. “We all have to impact the game in different ways. OG and Josh are getting easy baskets in transition, crashing for offensive rebounds, and cutting to score. It’s not always about your number being called, it’s about finding ways to contribute.”
Brunson concluded by acknowledging the impact of Shamet’s presence. “When I watched tape before Mike got the job, I was a fan of his. I saw what he did on the floor last year and thought, ‘Wow, this guy can be really good on both ends of the floor.’”
The Knicks improved to 31-18 with their sixth consecutive win, while the Lakers fell to 29-19, struggling in the third quarter after New York outscored them 38-26.
