Easy game, they said. Schedule loss, they tried to use as an excuse. Whatever.
The Knicks played the Spurs away from New York and somehow found a way not only to lose 120-105 but also to make embarrassing history. Sheesh...
Here’s what Coach Thibs and a few Knickerbockers had to say before and yesterday’s affair.
Tom Thibodeau
On the Knicks’ sluggish performance in San Antonio:
“We were a step behind all night.”
On the rebounding struggles:
“[The rebounding] was a big concern. Particularly when they started the game small and I thought our reaction to the ball wasn’t great. And they’re athletic and quick and we got to make sure we’re putting a body on them. And again, I felt like we were behind all night. It’s better to initiate contact rather than react to it.”
On Greg Popovich’s impact on basketball:
“It’s what he means to the entire league, probably all coaches everywhere. He’s been a great ambassador for the game. He’s had an unbelievable impact on all of us coaches, what he means to the NBA, what he means to certainly this city and all the things that he’s done.
“We’re always thinking about him and we wish him well and we know he’s making steady progress. So whatever it is that he decides to do, we’re behind him 100 percent and we wish him the best.”
On Deuce McBride’s improved defense:
“The ball pressure I think is huge for us. And not only the ball pressure but his disruption and anticipation, physicality. I think when you combine all those things and that also leads to turnovers, which gets us into the open floor.”
On the Knicks’ recent defensive improvements:
“I think it’s probably the steady progress by everyone. Obviously having another seven-footer is huge for us. And like I said, the ball pressure, and I don’t want to overlook what OG’s done during this stretch as well because he’s had a great impact on the defense.”
On how he plans to re-integrate Jalen Brunson back into the lineup:
“We’ll deal with that when we get there. I think guys have gone back and forth. Jalen has played a lot with the second group, too. And anytime you add a player like Mitch, he has been a starter most of his career.
“I always felt that Deuce is a starter that’s coming off the bench. So you can mix and match with him as well. I like what it gives our team. And then some guys, if someone’s got it going they’re probably going to play a little longer.”
On Mitchel Robinson’s impact on defense:
“It’s a huge impact defensively because when you have two seven-footers out there, if you get by one, you’ve got another one waiting at the rim.”
“[Mitch is] such a huge factor, and particularly when you have him and KAT out there together. They’re two seven-footers, and OG’s on the front line with them also, you’re just so long.
“The basket is protected, but I think the rim protection, his ability to get out on the perimeter, defend pick and rolls, make a second and third effort to be up on the pick and roll and get back and rebound and change shots.”
On the tough schedule the Knicks have navigated of late:
“The schedule is the schedule. Sometimes it’s in your favor, sometimes it’s not. We’ve been on the road a long time, come home for one and then turn right back around. But that’s our reality. We have to find a way to win.
“In the third quarter, I thought we had the right approach, and that helped. I think we got (the score) to eight and then we get hurt with the 3.”
Jalen Brunson
On his personality and its impact in the locker room:
“If you made some sense, everyone sees the mature guy in front of the cameras. Behind the cameras, I’m a clown. Someone paid attention in school, and someone didn’t.”
On playing for the Knicks after starting his career in Dallas:
“For the most part, it’s been pretty amazing. It’s something that I can say changed my life for the better. I never thought things would be the way that they are. But when you work hard for something and focus on the team goals, a lot of individual success and accolades can happen.
“I think I’ve tried to do everything the right way and focus on how I can help my team be the best we can be. Individually, it’s worked out for me. I’m really thankful for the opportunity that came about. It’s something that if I went back in time, I’d do over and over again. It’s something that I’d never take for granted because it’s such a blessed opportunity for an organization like this in a city like this, and to be with my friends and to be with family. It’s been remarkable, to say the least.”
On comparing Tom Thibodeau to Jay Wright:
“They’re both maniacs when it comes to their profession. They want the best out of you. They want to push you to exhaustion and make you the best player you can be.
“They’re both very similar when it comes to that, but they both go about it differently. Thibs, obviously, is a guy who’s known for having that love for the game by staying in the gym and the way he prepares himself and the team for games, which is different from Coach Wright.
“With Coach Wright, I feel like he pushed us differently. It’s kind of hard to explain, but being in the middle of it and seeing both sides of it. It’s two totally different people with the same mindset and agenda.”
"Wow. Wow. Am I officially a scorer now?"
–– Sandro Mamukelashvili on being the first player in NBA history to score 34+ in under 20 minutes pic.twitter.com/2gnStSGFuP
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) March 20, 2025
Josh Hart
On Mamukelashvili’s big game against the Knicks:
“He’s in the NBA for a reason. He’s a good player. And we weren’t focused in enough or locked in enough to realize what was going on. The IQ wasn’t there.
“When a guy has a game going like that, we have to find him. And be physical with him. And kind of get him out of rhythm. And we didn’t do that. We didn’t take anything away from him.”
On Brunson’s personality:
“Jalen is the exact same. He’s still childish and immature. Everyone sees the captain and mature guy behind the cameras, but he’s a clown in real life.”
On his career year and leading the league in minutes:
“I think this is the first year for me that I feel like I solidified myself in being a good player in the league. I wasn’t worried about trying to prove myself to anybody. We’ve got JB (Brunson), KAT (Karl-Anthony Towns), Mikal (Bridges), and OG (Anunoby).
“How can I help these guys maximize their opportunities, kind of be a servant for them, and also be available for Thibs (Tom Thibodeau)? I think I took that mentality and went with that. It opened doors for me that I didn’t think were possible or were in my vision at the time.
“My biggest thing is I want to make sure these guys are good, and I want to make sure they get the recognition, contracts, and accolades that come with being in their position.”
On the Knicks’ recent travel schedule:
“We knew this one was going to be tough. Young, hungry team. Plays fast. Obviously we’ve had a tough schedule the last couple weeks.
“Going on the road for a week-and-a half. And then go home for one game and go right into a back-to-back on the road. … We knew it was going to be tough.”
On the mental toll of constant travel:
“You already know the biggest thing about the NBA is the travel. That’s the toughest thing. And when it’s the dog days of the season and you already know your body is going to be tired, you got to keep going and you got to find it mentally.
“A little bit draining mentally, but we know we got to regroup. We got another tough one tomorrow.”
Miles McBride
On the importance of late-season games:
“These are some of the more important days. If you played in the playoffs before, these are the times where guys are trying to tune up even more and these games become even more important, whether you’re trying to get into the playoffs or trying to get a better seeding.
“These are games where I feel like guys are trying to tune up and get ready, and I don’t feel like we showed that tonight.”