Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks addressed the media after Game 4 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden, reflecting on a 29-point comeback win and the mindset that fueled the second-half turnaround against the San Antonio Spurs.
Brunson first paused the basketball discussion to share a personal message about a recent interaction, saying, “Just want to say hearts and my thoughts and prayers are with a friend of mine I got to meet and talk to last week Jonathan from North Carolina from the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Gardener and Jeans Foundation. He had a heart condition and it was just asked of me to just kind of take a video and reach out to him, but something in my mind told me just to try and get on FaceTime, get the chat with him, and I got the pleasure to do so.”
Turning to the game, Brunson described the decisive late sequence involving OG Anunoby. “I was top of the key. Got a decent look. Obviously was a little far, but had two guys contesting so was able to get some pressure on the rim. Got a good bounce off the rim and OG being OG just made a play.”
The Knicks guard also explained the team’s approach when facing a 29-point deficit. “Really wasn’t that much to be said at that point. It was really just we need to chip away. We need to hit singles, get on base. And make plays from there.”
Brunson emphasized the importance of maintaining consistency across playoff runs. “We found a way to really just continue to do the things that have helped us get to this point.”
On the emotional and physical toll of tight playoff games, he said, “It was a lot and just happy we found a way to come away with a win. We got a lot to learn these next couple of days, but our mentality has to be 0-0 the way it’s been.”
He added that the group cannot become complacent despite the result. “There has to be that way and I feel like us moving forward with that mindset can really benefit us but it just there’s nothing to celebrate. It’s not over yet. Not even close.”
Brunson also credited Jose Alvarado’s impact in limited shared minutes since joining the team. “The way he came in and changed the game and did the things that he did was great and we needed literally everything.”
On leadership within the group, he said, “My parents raised me to never be a follower, always be a leader. And I feel like it’s something that’s helped me grow as a person.”
He also addressed the broader perspective on success and expectations, stating, “That word success is rarely talked about in a locker room. We focus on the things that we do to get better every single day.”
Brunson closed by reflecting on the final moments inside Madison Square Garden. “Just grateful to be on the winning side of that. But we have a lot to learn from and a lot to get better in order to do the things we said we want to do.”
