The dream is over, but it brings a new beginning.
New York fell in six Eastern Conference Finals games, and the Knicks packed their bags to Cancun before we all hoped they did.
Here’s what Coach Thibs, most Knickerbockers, and a few Pacers said after Saturday’s finale.
"It's improvement from last year, but it's ultimately not what our ultimate goal is."
Tom Thibodeau talks about his message after the Knicks were eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals: pic.twitter.com/ag0O0r0u8w
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) June 1, 2025
On Indiana’s run in Game 6:
“They got into the open floor, and that was a problem. It was hard to make up the ground.”
On defensive issues in Game 6:
“There were stretches where we played very good defense and stretches where we didn’t. I think once you dig into it and you look at is, was it our defense? Or was it our turnovers? I think it was probably a combination of both.”
On the tone-setting run before halftime:
“We didn’t close the half well. So I thought right before the half when they sort of had that spurt that also set the tone to start the third. And they got into the open floor and that was a problem. It was hard to make up the ground.”
On turnovers and Indiana’s pressure:
“Some of it was our own doing, some of it was their ball pressure. And that also put them into the open floor. So I thought that was a big problem.”
On Pascal Siakam’s performance:
“He’s a very gifted player, he played a terrific series. I think the versatility, his ability to run the floor, his ability to play in the paint, his ability to face the basket, to put it on the floor. He’s a tough cover. And sometimes you can play him well and because of his size and his release he can get the shot up and it’s always a good shot. Hats off to him. He had a big-time series.”
On falling short of the Knicks’ goal of winning the chip:
“There’s disappointment because you fall short of what your goal is. In the end, there’s only going to be one team that achieves the goal. And so I think the challenge for us is to look at it for what it is. We finished in the top three, but we’re falling short of the ultimate goal. So for us, it’s to use that for motivation and determination to work all summer to prepare ourselves to make the final step and keep improving so we can achieve our goal.”
On offseason planning:
“You look at your team, and I think you analyze what the strengths and weaknesses of the team are, and then you’re always thinking about improvement. How do we improve what we have? And I think you always start with the internal improvement. You have the order of the draft, free agency, and, of course, all the trade possibilities.
“Leon and his staff—there’s always a lot of talk that goes on. They (will) analyze whether something makes sense and can improve our team. We aren’t going to do something just to do something.”
On his pride in the team’s effort:
“I’m proud of what these guys did. There was a lot that we had to get through and I thought we handled that part well. … There were a lot of moving parts but they kept fighting and moving forward and I’ve got great respect for that.”
On the narrow margins of playoff basketball:
“The playoffs are hard fought and these games can go either way and oftentimes they’re one possession games. … The disappointment of falling short of the ultimate goal, but also proud of what we were able to accomplish because we still had to win games with guys out.”
On Towns playing through pain:
“This time of the year, everyone deals with something. You have to have the mental toughness to get through all those things and give the team whatever you have.”
Jalen Brunson was asked how confident he is that the Knicks can take the next step:
"The most confidence. Overconfident. Seriously. There's not an ounce of any type of doubt that I'm not confident with this group." pic.twitter.com/FVmBb92omK
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) June 1, 2025
On Karl-Anthony Towns playing through injury:
“I have the utmost respect for him and how he’s been able to play throughout this entire season and playoffs.”
On Mitchell Robinson:
“He has not changed one bit, to be honest with you, but he’s honestly one of the best teammates we have.”
On the need for team improvement over the summer:
“We’re going to go into the summer, we’re going to work, and we’re going to get better. We’re going to figure out a way how we can change this outcome.”
On teammates’ attitude and work ethic:
“No one’s really out there posting themselves about the things that they do or anything like that. We have guys that genuinely just want to work hard to be better. I like that. I appreciate my teammates and everything they do and everything they believe in.”
On Tom Thibodeau’s future:
“Is that a real question right now? You just asked me if I believe if he’s the right guy? Yes.”
On the team’s progress this season:
“Not sure accomplished is the word that we’re gonna use here, but I think the way this team progressed this year, for me, it was fun.”
On the Game 6 loss:
“It sucks, simple as that. It sucks.”
On confidence in the team moving forward:
“The most confidence. Overconfident. Seriously. There’s not an ounce of any type of doubt that I’m not confident with this group.”
On how to move forward in the offseason:
“It’s definitely tough to look ahead. Even when you win, it’s always about what’s next. Regardless, we’re going to go in the summer and work. We’re going to get better and figure out how we can change this outcome. It’s going to start with us and our mentality, making sure we take it one day at a time. We can’t just jump back into the conference finals. We can’t look ahead. I got a lot of faith in this group. No one sees what me and (Towns) see every day, the type of people that we have, the workers that we have. That’s what gives me the confidence, and I’m OK with that. I don’t care what people think about us on the outside. I know what we’ve got.”
On team unity through experience:
“You can’t really get experience without getting experience. It’s helped out a lot. It brought us together. I think for the most part, we see a lot, we hear a lot, but we make sure we’re on the same page together. So regardless of what anyone else says, we’ve got each other’s back.”
On Mitchell Robinson’s impact:
“I’m just happy he’s healthy and playing at that level. I feel like when you come into the league and you’re good at something, and you continue to grow and it becomes more of an instinct, so obviously he was known as a defensive specialist coming into the league. And then he’s still that if not way better, but when you grow and you learn and when you have the experience, you tend to become better.”
On Karl-Anthony Towns and media narratives:
“I mean, there are narratives with traded players on other teams. And when you get to the team, it’s, ‘Oh, that guy is not really like that.’ It’s just, that’s how narratives work. They’re usually probably false. I have the utmost respect for him and the way he’s been able to play throughout this entire season and playoffs. We’re all banged up, but we’re all gonna push through. I had faith that he was gonna play last game.”
On Towns’ value to the team:
“I knew that he was a player that was gonna help us win. He’s helped us get to this point. And so I think no matter what the situation is, he’s gonna continue to do that.”
"In some weeks, I'll feel better. It's good to be here, but it's whatever"
- Mikal Bridges on the Knicks making the Eastern Conference Finals despite all they went through this season pic.twitter.com/9NDhw8sAgu
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) June 1, 2025
On the Knicks’ season accomplishments:
“I’ll probably be more grateful about it later, but not right now.”
On the second half of Game 6:
“There’s been a lot of third quarters of them coming out with more energy than us and playing harder than us. Fourth quarter a lot of mental mistake.s”
On reaching the Conference Finals despite injuries:
“In some weeks, I’ll feel better. It’s good to be here, but it’s whatever”
On his rebounding impact:
“I’ve got a video where (the Pacers) had three or four guys on me at one point. You know, that’s something they have to do. And it helps a lot. Because I’m going to the glass every time.”
On his role as rim protector:
“I’m the last line of defense out there. When they have trust in me that I’m out there protecting the rim, that just helps them be more aggressive on the ball. And it helps out a lot. So I’m going to be there.”
On whether or not he is the league’s best rebounder:
“I still am. I average what? Like four or five?”
On his approach to offensive rebounding:
“Be strong, stand your ground, and you just go up and grab it with two hands.”
On meaning of being the longest-tenured Knicks player:
“Seeing it all. Yeah, I mean, it’s been amazing. Nice journey from 17 wins to 50. Been here for a while, so now, it’s like finally just coming together.”
On the Game 6 loss to Indiana:
“They obviously played well, they played fast. Turnovers were tough for us. We had some lapses in communication. In the postseason, you can’t do that.”
On his own performance in the series:
“Obviously extremely disappointed. Could’ve and should’ve played better. That’s gonna sting for a while.”
On the uncertainty of roster continuity:
“That’s what’s disappointing the most, knowing that there’s a good chance that this team might not be back in totality.”
On letting down the team:
“I failed the team. I didn’t bring it how I should have, especially in this series. If I played better, it could’ve been a different situation.”
On what’s next for the Knicks:
“When you don’t get to where you feel like you could’ve or should’ve, changes are made.”
"We're going to go into the summer, we're going to work, and we're going to get better. We're going to figure out a way how we can change this outcome."
- Jalen Brunson pic.twitter.com/3R72H7lduN
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) June 1, 2025
On the pain of not reaching the Finals:
“It hurts not to be playing for a championship. We just have to get out and put ourselves in this position again.
“It hurts not to bring an opportunity to the city for a championship.”
On playing with Brunson:
“It’s a blessing and it’s an honor that I get to play with Jalen Brunson.”
"We fought all year long, faced adversity. But just didn't back down, it was very resilient"
- OG Anunoby on the Knicks' season pic.twitter.com/7Gzh2xtxrO
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) June 1, 2025
On the Knicks’ season:
“We fought all year long, faced adversity. But just didn’t back down, it was very resilient”
On his message to Knick fans:
“Thank you for all your support. We have amazing fans, so thanks for all the support. And the way we fought. We’re going to be better from this”
Miles McBride: “Losing this game, we felt really confident coming in. Overall this season, it felt like a lot of stuff throughout the year got exposed now.” pic.twitter.com/Hj5VzJmfyU
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) June 1, 2025
On the Game 6 elimination:
“It’s heartbreak honestly. Everybody’s dream is to get to the Finals. We want do everything we can for each other. Go out there and fight as much as we can. You can’t control everything. Just gotta take it into the summer and be motivated.”
On how the loss reflects the season:
“Losing this game, we felt really confident coming in. Overall this season, it felt like a lot of stuff throughout the year got exposed now.”
"The Knicks were an unreal opponent. Tough-minded, always coming at you."
Rick Carlisle starts his press conference by crediting the Knicks and Tom Thibodeau for their play in the Eastern Conference Finals: pic.twitter.com/8DZ4yyK0rW
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) June 1, 2025
On Thibodeau’s impact on the Knicks organization:
“He’s turned the culture completely flipped from what it was.”
On the Knicks’ star talent:
“They have a great team and they’ve got a lot of tremendous players. They’ve got two superstars that are all-NBA. They create a lot of problems.”
On the Knicks’ depth:
“They’re all very good players and they all play their roles extremely well.”
On the Knicks and Tom Thibodeau:
“The Knicks were an unreal opponent. Tough-minded, always coming at you.”
On the intensity of the series:
“This was as intense of a series as you’re ever going to have in six games.”
On his star players leading the way:
“Pascal and Tyrese put us on their backs and made sure we would not lose. But our work has just begun.”
On the mindset moving forward:
“This is the sixth time that I’ve been to an NBA FInals. Three as a player. one as an assistant coach twice as a head coach. This is no time to be popping champagne.
“When you get to this point of the season, it’s two teams and it’s one goal. So it becomes an all-or-nothing thing and we understand the magnitude of it.”
On the ECF series and the impact of that unbelievable Game 1 victory:
“A couple thoughts, first. Very difficult series. Game 1, what happened in Game 1 was very fluky and it put us in position to lead the series in the beginning. That was a real key to it. This group has been special, doing some very special things.
“Today our guys just decided that it was going to be our kind of game. It was going to be a fast game. We kept speed in the game and they kept coming.”
On facing the Thunder in the Finals:
“We understand the challenge of the opponent. Oklahoma City has been dominant all year with all capital letters. Dominant.”
On Thomas Bryant after an impressive Game 6:
“Thomas has an indomitable spirit as a person as a player. He is over there on the sidelines in a defensive stance and he is into it.”
On building around Haliburton:
“If you have the right player to build around, it can happen much faster than you think. Getting Tyrese made it very clear what our identity needed to be. We needed to be a fast-paced team with shooting.”
On proving doubters wrong:
“This is a really special group and I’m really thankful for these guys. I’m thankful that our front office believed in this group to keep us together to not do a crazy roster turnover, to keep this group together and see something in ourselves that maybe the quote-unquote experts didn’t see.
“It’s really special, but we understand we’ve got a long road ahead. It’s just a special feeling.”
On the team’s journey:
“It’s a special feeling to do it with this group. We just worked our tails off as a group to get back here. It’s been a bumpy road with our start. … We’ve been through so many things this year and we just kept pushing and I’m just really proud of this group.”
On Pascal Siakam’s impact:
“When we brought him here we envisioned doing something like this, doing something special. He’s been like a big brother to me, somebody that I can really trust, somebody that I can lean on to talk to and just somebody who can keep me steady.”
On Obi Toppin’s three blocks in Game 6:
“Obviously, this series playing against his team, there’s probably a little more juice for him, considering this is where he came from.”
On blocking out Finals thoughts before playing Game 6:
“I think it’s human nature, when you see (OKC) win, it’s easy to watch them win and be like, ‘Ok, so we’re going to play next, we’ve just got to win one more game,’ I think that’s the human nature part of it. But I think we just talked as a group about being as present as possible.
“Because this game could very well have went a different way and then all of the pressure would be on us to go win there in Game 7.”
On staying focused and preparing for the Finals:
“Human nature is going to creep in, you’re going to think about it. But I thought we did a great job of living in the moment today.
“I’d be lying if I told you right now my head’s not thinking about what’s next and how we’re going to attack these guys and compete against these guys and what we’re getting into. We’ve got our work cut out for us. … We’re going to be prepared and we’re going to be ready.”
On what the Finals appearance means:
“It’s a special feeling. It’s a special feeling to do it for this group. ... It’s been a bumpy road with our start.”
On the Pacers trading for and trusting him and the rest of the team for years:
“It means a lot. This is a franchise that took a chance on me. ... Sometimes I think they saw more in me than I saw in myself.”
“I’m thankful our front office believed in this group. ... To see something in us that quote-unquote experts didn’t see.”
On what it took to reach this point:
“Honesty to each other. ... Commitment to each other to do that.”
“Internally, we had expectations to be here. ... Obviously there’s a turning point there in December and January. I think we did a good job of being present.”
On guarding Brunson:
“He’s been dominating this series, so anything I could do to irritate him would be good.”
Myles Turner on people doubting the Pacers:
"We don't get a lot of TV games, people don't really pay attention to us until we make them pay attention but we thrive with that. We understand that (we're) not the sexiest team but we get results" pic.twitter.com/phZfINIWd4
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) June 1, 2025
On the Pacers doubters:
“We don’t get a lot of TV games, people don’t really pay attention to us until we make them pay attention, but we thrive with that.
“We understand that (we’re) not the sexiest team, but we get results.”
On growing frustrations with Towns’ defense inside the Knicks locker room:
“Publicly, Knicks players made veiled comments all season about poor communication causing their inconsistencies. Behind the scenes, they and coaches expressed frustration with Towns’ defensive habits—less concerned with his talent level and more with his process on that end.
“Too often, Towns executed incorrect coverages without communicating why he did it. After it became a theme, players worried Towns didn’t grasp the importance of the matter.”