Jalen Brunson reflected on New York’s Eastern Conference Finals sweep after the Knicks closed out the Cleveland Cavaliers 130-93 on Monday night at Rocket Arena.
The guard pointed to focus and execution when describing the team’s approach to elimination games, saying, “we’ve been playing hard mixing a little luck as well but I think most importantly we’ve been coming in focused and just focused on one possession at a time and just playing hard for that possession and worrying about the stuff the future later.”
New York completed a 4-0 series win after dominating all four games, finishing the playoffs run with an 11-game winning streak and an average margin of victory of 23.7 points.
Brunson emphasized the team’s mindset during the postseason stretch, adding, “we’ve been locked in the moment and I think we need to continue to do that.”
The Knicks controlled Game 4 from the opening quarter and built a lead that reached as high as 45 points, while limiting Cleveland’s offense after an early push from Donovan Mitchell.
Asked about whether a turning point occurred during the season, Brunson rejected the idea of a sudden change, saying, “I don’t think a switch flipped no per se. I just think that was the start of the habits that we were building really starting to show.”
He also highlighted the group’s identity, stating, “This team is a very selfless group. And at the end of the day we know we’re willing to sacrifice our own individual performance or stash your accolades for the betterment of the team.”
The guard added that consistency in effort has defined the roster’s approach, saying, “I think everybody out there is just trying to do one thing and win. So no matter who scores you know who’s doing anything I think we all just trying to play hard and at the end of the day just trying to get the next one.”
Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 19 points and 14 rebounds, while OG Anunoby added 17 points in a balanced Knicks scoring effort that saw multiple contributors in double figures.
Brunson also reflected on the franchise’s history and support from former players, saying, “It really means a lot because when they’re out on the sidelines or whatever they made their presence known and they’re full of energy now and it’s just who they are.”
He added on the presence of Knicks legends, “It’s a really cool sight to see. It’s an organization with the history it has and seeing the former players around all the time and that makes it even more special.”
On being presented with trophies by franchise icons, Brunson said, “Not really until you said it. I think it’s really cool.”
Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges also spoke on their roles within the team structure and trust in Brunson’s leadership.
Hart said, “Like I said before the belief that the organization has in me has been amazing and something I don’t take for granted and it’s something not a lot of people get the opportunity to do so I’m very thankful.”
Bridges added, “No other player no other guard that I would want to belong to besides JB. So I’m just very grateful to be in this position.”
New York now advances to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999, awaiting the winner of the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs series.
