Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks, along with the San Antonio Spurs, addressed the media Thursday ahead of Game 2 of the 2026 NBA Finals.
The New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs spoke to the media from the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio Thursday, sharing their thoughts with the public ahead of Game 2 of the 2026 NBA Finals.
Enjoy the best quotes and moments from this Media Day with the NBA.com live blog!
- Wednesday’s live blog: Brunson lifts Knicks late to Game 1 win
- Tuesday’s live blog: Wemby: ‘Job’s not finished at all’
What we know after Thursday’s Media Day:
- Players discussed their competitive approaches, shared their thoughts on Game 1 and looked ahead to Game 2 of the 2026 NBA Finals at Media Day in San Antonio.
- Jalen Brunson discussed his and the Knicks’ focus on putting in the work and improving every day.
- Karl-Anthony Towns spoke on his content creation, the passion of Knicks fans and the quiet effort that takes place when the cameras are off during the NBA season.
- Victor Wembanyama explained a text he received from Gregg Popovich after Game 1 and discussed his faith in the team’s resilience.
- Dylan Harper talked about sitting at the end of Game 1 and his choices as a playmaker when attacking as a lead guard.
- Julian Champagnie offered a window into his trash talk with Jose Alvarado and Landry Shamet.
- Coaches Mike Brown and Mitch Johnson provided their thoughts on their team’s strategies and effectiveness in Game 1, with Brown noting that the Knicks want to pack the paint and Johnson expressing the importance of getting better looks from 3-point range in Game 2.
- Game 2 of the 2026 NBA Finals will come to you live from San Antonio Friday at 8:30 ET on ABC.
JUNE 4, 2026 / 3:45 ET
Karl-Anthony Towns speaks
Karl-Anthony Towns talks with the media ahead of Game 2 of the 2026 NBA Finals.
On his World Cup plans…
“We’ve got a lot of soccer fans, me included, and after it’s all said and done, I’m actually going to go, and I’ll be excited to be at the World Cup.
On helping the team versus overreaching…
“It comes with experience. I’ve been in Playoff series where I’ve done too much and it was a detriment to the team, and I’ve been in Playoff series where I’ve done too little… It’s a fine line. It comes with experience, where you learn truly what is best for the team, and finding that balance of being aggressive and impacting the game with your skillset, but also using that skillset to make people better.”
On his content creation…
“I’m enjoying right now the sports cards, with Topps and everybody, and just making some dope sports card content is, right now, what I love to do. It’s a passion of mine; it’s really something I love to do — it was my first job before the NBA called, so it’s pretty good to get back to my first job. Other than that, I just like to make cinematic experience of my life, and being creative.”
On the New York fans’ reaction and whether he’d hit 7th Avenue…
“Maybe a picture of me… I pray for the (New York Police Department). It’s very funny, but it shows the love our fans have for us, and the passion they have.
I have to give a shout out to the NYPD, those men and women out there who are not only protecting everybody, but on the flip side as well, in my personal experience, are huge fans of the Knicks and support the Knicks fans in their ability to show how much they love the Knicks, and being as lenient as possible without causing chaos.”
On his defensive focus and efforts on Victor Wembanyama…
“I just want to impact winning, so whatever the team needs me to do… I’m willing to do…. Whatever my role, I’ve got to be the best at it and impact winning.”
On the importance of winning Game 2…
“I just think it’s zero-zero, and the next game is the most important game of the year… Just worry about the present.”
On his advice for skilled big men…
“Locking into on the film. Just working hard — just never leave the gym, just be infatuated with the work… The magic really is in the work, and utilizing that work to be more comfortable with the game.
The more work you put in, the more time you use understanding your teammates — where they like the ball, where they excel, where their best shots are percentage-wise. You give yourself the chance to have the game slow down, and with experience, the game slows down tremendously. The real gift about experience is you’ll find ways to accomplish the same goal, and get the stats, with using way left energy. That’s when energy really kicks in, and it’s a beauty.”
On reaching another level as an all-around player…
“Consistently working on my game. No days off, always consistently finding something to do to take my game to the next level… Even last night, after the game, we had a 2.5 hour training session of just getting right for the next game.
The work never stops. When the cameras stop rolling, and there ain’t no NBA trophy around, no basketball to dribble, you find a way to give yourself an edge.”
On what Josh Hart brings…
“You know what Josh is going to do. He’s going to play hard; he’s going to be a dog.”
JUNE 4, 2026 / 3:30 ET
Josh Hart speaks
Josh Hart talks with the media ahead of Game 2 of the 2026 NBA Finals.
On Jalen Brunson’s skill and status as an underdog…
“As a friend, you’re happy he’s getting recognition. I think he’s still underrated in the league and he keeps proving people wrong, game-by-game, series-by-series, Playoff appearance-by-Playoff appearance. As a friend, and as a teammate, it’s funny, because you know he’s one of the best players in the league.”
On grabbing 15 rebounds at 6’4″ with Wemby in the paint…
“Just the will. Obviously, he’s someone that we have to pay extra attention to, in trying to keep him off the glass. KAT and Mitch did an amazing job of that yesterday… Just the will, in seeing where the ball is going to bounce and trying to be the first one to get there.”
On the importance of pushing tempo against the Spurs…
“They’re very good in the halfcourt, using their physicality, the athleticism, and then Wemby altering shots or deferring shots… If we do get those defensive rebounds, we’re able to get out and push the pace, and we have guys that can finish at the rim, knock down shots, so it’s definitely part of how we want to play.”
On his memories of Jose Alvarado as a rookie in New Orleans…
“Jose was kind of like a deer in the headlights at first, but you could tell he had the energy about him that was contagious. He was willing to work; he had a chip on his shoulder, and was really willing to do whatever it took to get on the court.
When you do that, and you have that mentality, and you start seeing success with it, you double-down on it. And you see that.”
On the importance of changing direction quickly being defended by Wembanyama…
“He’s very comfortable being around the rim… You want to do your best to draw him out. For me, I’m able to play right off an action, or handoff and ball screen with JB, ‘Kal, OG, Landry. if he’s down the floor, as long as I get a good hit on the guards, they’re going to have open shots. It’s an emphasis on doing that, playing fast, and trying to draw him out from under the rim, where he’s not as comfortable.”
On what it takes to bring energy every night…
“It takes humility and just a willingness to sacrifice. We’re in the NBA Finals. There’s millions of people watching, and it’s easy to get wrapped up in human nature of wanting to get recognition, wanting to score the ball, and wanting to show people what you can do on the biggest stage. That’s not everyone’s call, and that’s not everyone’s assignment.
It takes a little time to find that humility. With me, I found that with prayer and my faith… When you have a group of guys that have that willingness to sacrifice and that humility, it breeds a championship culture.”
JUNE 4, 2026 / 3:15 ET
Mikal Bridges speaks
Mikal Bridges talks with the media ahead of Game 2 of the 2026 NBA Finals.
On Josh Hart’s impact…
“I talked to him after the game, and just reading his stat line (3 pts, 15 reb, 6 ast, 4 stl), I’m just like ‘that’s a crazy stat line. That just shows how much you impact (the game)’ and I think that sheet doesn’t even show what he was doing… Just how important he is to this team on both ends, it’s great.”
On the assignment of the weak side low man…
“Trying to be physical. They’re a really good team in the paint, so just keeping guys out of the paint.”
On what the team’s done off the court to stay competitive after long breaks…
“I don’t think our Game 1s, even though we won, have been great at all. It’s tough to simulate the emotional aspect and how physical it’s going to be when you’re in practice… You’ve got to figure it out. You’ve got to go out there and find that emotional and physical part. We did towards the end, like we did in Game 1 at Cleveland… We’ve got to be better and we know we will be in Game 2.”
On Jalen Brunson’s pain tolerance…
“Unless you’re structurally hurt and can’t go, it’s just that mental aspect… I think a lot of time you’re banged up, it can be a mindset thing too. That’s just a credit to how he plays the game, how he goes about life — he has that mental toughness, and he’s going to fight no matter what.”
On KAT’s impact…
“It’s a lot we ask from him to do on both ends. It just comes with time and ramping up… He’s shown me personally, last year in the Playoffs in the first round against Detroit, I think a lot of their goal was to punk him. He didn’t let down, and he showed he could do it on both ends at all times.”
On staying grounded during the Knicks’ 12-game winning streak…
“For us, the guys in the locker room, our coaching staff… we’ve just got a lot of grit, a lot of mental toughness. The thing about us is we don’t really look at it as a win streak — we just take it one game at a time. Ever since the Playoff started, it’s one game… Our biggest game is our next game.”
On Alvarado’s impact…
“Coming in and being ready. JB went down, and he came in earlier than expected… In the biggest moments, coming in there and being real resilient… He stayed resilient, and we needed that.”
JUNE 4, 2026 / 3:00 ET
OG Anunoby speaks
OG Anunoby talks with the media ahead of Game 2 of the 2026 NBA Finals.
On keeping focus during the 12-game winning streak…
“Just going into each game with an edge. Not worrying about the previous game, but going in with the same intensity, and focusing on doing what it takes to win.”
On what it’s like in the locker room…
“Just reset. Prepare for the next game, watch the film, clean up on the things you messed up on, adjust as needed.”
On his 3-pointer over Victor Wembanyama from the corner…
“Whenever I get the ball, I’m always surveying, looking, trying to create some space. Whenever I feel I have any space, I’m always ready to shoot.”
On whether the Knicks disrupted the Spurs normal rhythm…
“I think we just tried to be physical, and be aggressive defensively. We try to make anyone we’re playing uncomfortable. We don’t want people to be comfortable, so just taking up space where we can, always make sure to get a contest, and just fly around, communicate on defense. It’s a collective effort as a team.”
On Karl-Anthony Towns’ talents…
“We know Karl’s an amazing player. We know he can do it against anyone… He always finds a way to impact the game.”
On the Knicks’ mental resilience when they fell behind…
“Just knowing that basketball’s a game of runs… Just staying with it, playing the way we play… Just knowing we’re going to go on our run as well, so just stay with it. It’s a 48-minute game.”
On the line between aggressiveness and reading the defense…
“As the game goes on, you find spots, and you pick and choose when to be aggressive… So just reading the game, how I’m being defended… and just being aggressive, whatever comes my way.”
On Brunson’s talents and status as an underdog…
“He’s a great player. No matter he’s playing against, he has the same confidence in himself. He just does what he does.”
JUNE 4, 2026 / 2:45 ET
Jalen Brunson speaks
Jalen Brunson talks with the media ahead of Game 2 of the 2026 NBA Finals.
On what he saw from the Spurs defense…
“I thought I shot some shots that I normally make, had some bad shots as well. But it’s all about how you move forward and respond in a positive way.”
On his approach to melding the bench players into the team…
“Just talking, constantly talking, trying to lead by example as well. I can’t really take a lot of credit from that, because we have a lot of guys on this team that are gym rats. They do the work, even on off days for them. Everyone finds a way to get better throughout the season, and knowing when their number is called, they’re going to be ready.”
On the lessons he took from Game 1…
“Being able to control what I can control. You never really know what’s going to happen throughout a game — it’s all about how you can be better the next possession, how you can make an impact when things aren’t going well. I think controlling what you can control is a big thing.”
On KAT’s rise defensively…
“I think he’s always been capable, but throughout this run. he’s been playing great. It’s crazy to say, but we could all be better… Even when mistakes happen, it’s about not pointing fingers and coming together to figure out what we need to do to be better next possession. I think the chemistry is still continuing to grow, and it allows us to play better.”
On the growth of Mike Brown’s relationship with the team…
“Like all things, things take time. I think most importantly though, we just had to get better every single day — every single day. In the world we live in today, everyone wants things instantly. From our perspective, it’s all about just getting better every single day. Keep chipping away, keep chipping away, being one percent better. When you take steps back, how can you improve? It’s all about how you can improve, how you can improve — having that mentality and approach allowed us to still be students of the game and still learn, even through wins, and I think we still need to do that.”
On tagging Victor Wembanyama in the pick-and-roll…
“Just trying to be strong, just trying to give my teammate a chance to give back. We’re just trying to find ways to help each other out.”
On the impact of Josh Hart’s energy…
“I learned that that’s just who he is. He was our leading rebounder in college for… his final two years. That’s just who he is. His energy is just relentless. It doesn’t stop. He eats candy all the time — that tells you who he is, he’s a big kid with an absurd amount of energy.”
On receiving support from Knicks fans on the road…
“It’s very (appreciated)… Our fans, they’re amazing, and my family and I, we’ve felt the day from day one. They’ve been nothing but supportive, and truly, I will not take them for granted.”
On what show he’d pay $7,500 to see (the reported price of Finals tickets at the Garden)…
“A live Michael Jackson performance.”
JUNE 4, 2026 / 2:38 ET
Coach Mike Brown speaks
Mike Brown talks with the media ahead of Game 2 of the 2026 NBA Finals.
On Josh Hart’s performance…
“He was huge. He helped us with our pace. We want to play fast, everybody knows it, it’s hard to score as you go along in the Playoffs, so you try to get the ball up the floor as quickly as possible to attack a defense that’s not set. Josh was phenomenal in helping us do that. He guarded a lot of different guys… and then, he rebounded the basketball. He was great. He was great on the weak side defensively. He impacted the game in so many ways for us. When you look at what he shot from the field, you wouldn’t think that he was probably the most impactful guy on the game last night.”
On Jose Alvarado’s lift in 11 minutes…
“When Jalen went out of the game, he came in and he stabilized us, because we were floundering a little bit. He got us into our offense; he was really, really good defensively. He’s always into the game; he’s always present. For him to be able to come in and hold down the fort the way that he did was much needed.”
On reflecting on this point in his career before Game 1…
“No, not really. Just had my game-day routine.”
On Karl-Anthony Towns’ defensive focus and effort…
“KAT’s been really present with everything that we’re doing. When you’re present, you give yourself a chance to lock into the small details that are in front of you. Last night, he was really good in transition defensively, probably one of the best he’s been all season. The coverages, he was really good. Wemby — man, iconic player, you’re not going to stop him, you have to hope he misses… but KAT himself did a pretty decent job of trying to lead with his chest while being physical. I think it’s all due to him wanting do whatever he can to help the team while being present.”
On the Spurs’ quality of 3-point looks…
“We always want to try to get a little bit better with what we’re doing… But at the end of the day, this team will kill you if you allow their guards, as big and athletic and long, quick, as they are, to get in the paint and finish. If I had to pick my druthers, I’d take a late contested three by their guards, just because they’re so good when they hit the paint. Now, they can beat you from the 3-point line — we saw it in the Oklahoma City series — so we’re going to have to try to be better at it, but at the end of the day, I know we can’t allow them to live in the paint against us, because they’re destroy us if they do.”
On bringing out KAT’s defensive ability…
“I had to challenge everybody, not just him… KAT’s smart, he has a good feel. He has better feet than what you think, and he’s long and he’s strong. Those combinations bode well for a guy defensively. It’s just about embracing it and staying present, while understanding what the small details of your job should be.”
On encouraging Brunson hunting switches…
“We talk about all that stuff. I’ve talked about a staff a ton. It starts with those guys — our advance scouts do a great job, then it gets to our assistants, and Chris Jent and T.J. Saint are good with our analytics guys of figuring out if we want to attack a matchup in this situation or that situation, and then it’s a collective effort… I don’t think it’s different than anyone else does. Anyone else wants to quote, unquote ‘target Jalen’ or ‘target KAT in the pick-and-roll,’ so we have to understand that process going in.”
On the effect of Knicks fans traveling…
“In these games, especially against good teams on the road, you want to find places you can find energy, or a little boost of energy, at any given time. To have the type of fans that we do, that not only bring the energy in the City of New York, on the streets or at MSG, but to have them come take over a town, take over a hotel, take over an arena, and hear them chant ‘let’s go Knicks’ or Jalen shooting a free throw, ‘MVP,’ that gives you a boost knowing you have some people supporting you at a pretty high level.”
JUNE 4, 2026 / 2:18 ET
Stephon Castle speaks
Stephon Castle talks with the media ahead of Game 2 of the 2026 NBA Finals.
On the team’s shot quality in the halfcourt…
“Playing in transition, trying to play fast, is probably the easiest way we create shots. In the halfcourt, when we got to our plays, we saw a similar look for the most part, and created the same shot over-and-over. Not getting bored with making the right read over-and-over again is something we have to do for the next game, but it comes down to making shots too.”
On the differences between guarding Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Brunson…
“They’re very similar in ways — obviously, Jalen is left-handed, Shai is right-handed. Shai, he’s more of a threat to get all the way downhill, all the way to the basket. Jalen, he likes to use angles a lot more, uses pump-fakes a little more than Shai. Most of his is angles, trying to get to his spots, and not trying to draw fouls as much, but get to his midrange and get to his spots that he likes. So, just trying to keep him from doing that.”
On the Spurs’ offense in Game 1 and whether the stage impacted them…
“It could have been that. For the most part, we didn’t make the extra pass as much as we usually do, we settled more than we usually do. Coach preaches a lot — try to find better every possession, try to find the best shot, and we got satisfied with a decent look, knowing we can make those kind of shots, a lot more than we usually do. I think it cost us, but even playing like that, not playing the way we usually do, we still had a chance to win.”
On potentially pressing in Game 1 and getting away from themselves…
“If I had to think of one thing, it’s most of our first time being in the Finals, so obviously a big moment for a lot of us. We’re overly-excited to get out there and play, so that could be a part of it. But yeah, we’ve been down in series before. I think Coach Mitch said it best — really all Playoffs, it’s taken us more than a half to get settled into a game. So, just trying to be ourselves… We feel like we’re the better team.”
On attacking Josh Hart offensively…
“I think he’s very physical. He really doesn’t want to switch too much, so he’ll blow up screens a lot. I think it’s similar to the way I play defense — just constant pressure, very physical, but does it calculated and smart, and tries to do it without fouling. He’s a good defender, regardless of who he’s guarding, but we’ve seen good defenders all Playoffs.”
On whether he was displeased by Knicks fans celebrating…
“Well, yeah. I don’t want any fans from any team to have a good night in our arena… They were loud, but I think our fans showed out as well, and I just don’t we executed on winning the game, so they had the right to celebrate.”
On Brunson finding switches in the fourth quarter…
“Obviously, yes, I want to stay on the ball and defend my matchup, but at the end of the day, I have nothing but confidence in my teammates on that side of the floor, and I don’t want to make up things on the spot… I don’t want to make it about me and him; it’s more of what our team defense needs.”
On whether his and Wemby’s youth leads to a lack of fear…
“It may be more of what our character is like. I don’t think we’ll ever change from being this way, and having this kind of confidence in each other… Using that to our advantage, in any situation. I think we have nothing but confidence in this team, this staff, this organization, so we’re just going to take it game-by-game and walk this thing down.”
JUNE 4, 2026 / 2:13 ET
Julian Champagnie speaks
Julian Champagnie talks with the media ahead of Game 2 of the 2026 NBA Finals.
On jawing back-and-forth with Jose Alvarado after making 3-pointers…
“I think it’s just friendly banter, honestly and truly. I’ve known Jose for a while. He makes one, he talks, I make one, I talk. I don’t think it was anything crazy — ‘you like that one,’ and whatever.
On cooling off after hitting five 3-pointers in the first half…
“The Knicks made some good adjustments. Credit to them, they’re a good team, a good coaching staff. They did some things that took away the corner three and the other threes, so we’ll figure out ways to find those again.”
On growing up playing basketball in Brooklyn…
“Obviously, playing in the park in the city, one, you have to win, or you can’t go back on the court for a while. There are no foul calls out there — they’re not going to give you any weak fouls, especially when playing with the older guys… A lot of trash-talking, a lot of physical (play)… figuring out on how you can play on those courts, I think it translates to playing on the NBA court. Obviously, the talents are different, but you take little tidbits — the trash talk, the physicality, perseverance on how to actually get through and win a game. You take those thing with you throughout your career.”
On his confrontational moment with Landry Shamet…
“No physicality — that was just competitiveness… He made a shot, I made shot, and we just talked a little bit. I like to compete, so that’s all it is.”
On potentially winning a title as a New York City native…
“It feels great. I’m from there, I live there, I grew up there, I went to school there and all that good stuff. Being able to bring one of those back to the hood, it’d be real good.”
On how to get hot as a shooter…
“I think I do a good job of watching defenses and figure out what they’re doing, whether they’re helping off the low man, shifting off, attention to detail, who’s attacking and where they’re going… We have really good guards, who like to point to places where they want us and need us.
The last three I hit in the first half, I don’t know if y’all saw, Fox was pointing where to go. He did it purposefully, so I’d get a three, and it worked the way he thought it would, and the rest was history from there.”
On Brunson’s rhythm in the fourth quarter…
“He’s a great player, so it’s one of those things where I don’t think we necessarily did a bad job defending him. I think he was 12-for-31 last night — in a regular game, they’re going to say that’s a crazy shooting percentage. But he’s a great player, made some shots late, and he willed his team to a win. At the end of the day, I don’t think we did a terrible job on him — I think there are things we can do to even limit (him) more.”
On Knicks’ fans influence on the atmosphere in the arena…
“For me, I expected that — I’m from New York, so I know how New York fans travel… The goal is to just come out next game and play hard, play better. Their fans aren’t crossing our minds while we’re in San Antonio. It’s just about what we have to worry about within those four lines.”
On how the coaches rest players and provide minutes...
“I just trust them blindly, and I think all of us do that.”
On interacting with fans…
“I remember what it was like being a kid. I didn’t go to many NBA games as a kid, but I remember what it was like being a kid, seeing NBA players and wanting to do that, being infatuated with what is going on at the arena. I feel like, why not give the kids that they’re going to remember for a lifetime?
I want them to enjoy all of this the way I enjoy all of this.”
JUNE 4, 2026 / 2:08 ET
Victor Wembanyama speaks
Victor Wembanyama talks with the media ahead of Game 2 of the 2026 NBA Finals.
On the team’s history of handling challenges…
“It’s very reassuring. We know we’re not here by chance. We’ve been through some weird situations — it’s reassuring that these guys, the 18 guys we’ve got, are built this way and are resilient.”
On his calmness in the moment…
“I’m just speaking with my heart and reacting with my heart… An explanation would be, you get closer to qualification or elimination, so the tension level normally rises.”
On getting a text from Gregg Popovich after Game 1…
“(In general), it was that I’ve been bad and I’m better than this.”
On facing Karl-Anthony Towns…
“I think the reason we lost that game isn’t even technical, tactical. We need to approach the game with a better mental state, and we need to play our game. We just need to be normal; we don’t have to do anything incredible.”
On what ‘”normal” means for the Spurs…
“Normal means trusting each other, trusting the basketball gods, executing, and not relying on talent so much to save the day. We’ve been playing the game a certain way all season, and there’s no reason to change the day the Finals start.”
On guarding smaller players and helping off a big…
“For me, guarding smaller players, it’s quickness of feat. And it’s true that it’s a little difficult, that I’m still learning, but I’ve learned a lot (on how) to change the mindset between guarding the rim and guarding a small. I really need to flip a switch.”
On keeping his peace amongst the Finals’ chaos…
“The only thing that’s impacting my routine the most is that we’re practicing at the arena, not the facility, so the driving time is a little longer.”
JUNE 4, 2026 / 2:00 ET
Dylan Harper speaks
Dylan Harper talks with the media ahead of Game 2 of the 2026 NBA Finals.
On watching from the bench at the close of Game 1…
“I feel like everyone wants to be out there in those times, but we won 62 games, we made it this far, so I’m going to keep on trusting in the coaching staff, trusting in Mitch. If they think that’s the best thing for the team, and that helps us win the most, I’m all for it. Obviously, want to be out there, but nothing to hang my head on.”
On playing with Castle and Fox simultaneously…
“It opens the game so much for me, and them too, and everyone else on the floor. We all have that ability to get to the rim and get to the paint, open up the world for everyone else. Being on the floor with them, it’s a blessing… I enjoy being on the floor with them. Being off the ball is nothing new to me — kind of been off the ball all year, and I feel like I can do whatever the team needs me to do to go out and win, and I think having three guards out there is pretty unstoppable.”
On how he feels after Game 1 and his Dad, Ron’s advice beforehand…
“This is every kid’s dream, every basketball player’s dream. Regardless of what went down yesterday, I’m just blessed to be in this position, and try to get some more.
Me and my Dad talk here and there. He gave me little tips on the Finals, but ultimately you have to experience on your own to know how to navigate through it.”
On the team’s energy and focus in Game 1 compared to Game 7 against Oklahoma City…
“Game 7, your back is against the wall, whoever wins that game makes it to the Finals. I feel like we had more of that drive, and we were more desperate in the sense, but it’s the NBA Finals, and we’ve got to be desperate every game… For us, we’ve got to stay to our brand of basketball.”
On his balance between attacking and getting Wemby touches in clutch situations…
“There’s definitely a middle ground in that. I think our best offense is transition and getting out, but once we get in the halfcourt, it’s more about how you put the right guys in the right spots to execute… The biggest thing is for me, stay in attack mode, but there’s also a time and place to do it.”
On reacting to the Finals loss compared to losses in prior series..
“Every series holds its different emotions… For us, as a group, those emotions are the same, but obviously with a lot more desperation, because we’re in the Finals and there’s no second chance at this.”
On the team’s defense on Jalen Brunson…
“He’s a great player obviously, what he’s able to do and how he gets to his spots and his angles, but I feel like we did a pretty good job. Obviously, fourth quarter, crunch time, there’s things we need to clean up and things we need to do better, but he’s a big-time player and he’s going to make shots like that. We just have to make it as tough as we can.”
JUNE 4, 2026 / 1:55 ET
De’Aaron Fox speaks
De'Aaron Fox talks with the media ahead of Game 2 of the 2026 NBA Finals.
On the Spurs’ resilience…
“We know it’s a long series. Obviously, you want to win every game that you have on your home court, but it’s not the way that it happens every time. We try to go in and fix things we need to fix, and obviously want another outcome.”
On the sweet spot for he and Harper in attacking the paint and finding Victor Wembanyama…
“There’s a balance to it, but when we have the ball moving, and we get the defense to rotate, it naturally comes back to the guys that it’s supposed to come back to. Obviously, unless Vic’s like ‘I want the ball,’ or he gets to a spot and he’s demanding the ball, other than that, we have a pretty free-flowing offense where paint touches are key. When we get the defense moving, Vic gets easy shots; he doesn’t have to go one-on-one or have to fight through physicality the whole time. That, or Dylan gets a layup or Dev gets a three. We have such a free-flowing offense that those things happen, and the person the ball’s supposed to find, it finds.”
On his confidence on this Spurs team versus prior teams…
“I’ve got to make shots. That’s the only that I think is different at times. Obviously, I’m not shooting the ball as much, but coming here, I knew that was the way it’s going to be. As a player, you sacrifice for the betterment of the team… At the end of the day, you need to take the shots you’re going to take.”
On what he would change about his Game 1 beyond missing shots…
“Two turnovers up until that last 10 seconds… At the end of the day, got to put the ball in the basket.”
On finding his rhythm in clutch games while taking fewer shots…
“You try to be an efficient player. Something I would consider an easy shot, you’ve got to make it. There’s nothing really else to it.”
On whether he’s seen Harrison Barnes’ championship ring…
“I don’t remember. I think he said his Mom has it?”
On the team’s process in getting paint touches in Game 1…
“We were decent. Towards the end of the game, we got a little bit worse at it, and they ramped up the pressure, kept us out of the paint. The process, that was the way we got our lead… but we have to try to continue that process.”
On adjustments for Game 2…
“We were up one with three minutes left, and we weren’t able to score at the end of the game, and end up losing by 10… Throughout the course of the game, we were in the game and gave ourselves chances to win… We just have to figure out a way to sustain it, and that’s keeping them off the offensive glass, not giving up second chance points.”
On whether he makes adjustments when Brunson gets hot in the clutch…
“There are times where it’s like ‘anybody but Jalen, make anybody else shoot the ball…’ Try to make it tough on him. Sometimes you send two at him, sometimes you corral him when he comes off a ball screen. Try to find ways to get the ball out of his hands without giving someone else a warmup jump shot.”
JUNE 4, 2026 / 1:45 ET
Coach Mitch Johnson speaks
Mitch Johnson talks with the media ahead of Game 2 of the 2026 NBA Finals.
On the Spurs’ prior experience being down in a series…
“We’ve been consistent in that regard. I think one thing we’ve learned in our three series is that series are long, games are long, things shift quickly — whether that’s health, who’s playing well or hot… Teams at this stage typically have shown the ability to evolve and improve on the fly… That’s how you see these series go back-and-forth — these teams make great adjustments, and take advantage of those. In this moment right now, we’re coming off a loss, and it’s on us to get into that balancing act of change, tweak over here, and be better and sharper over there.”
On getting Victor Wembanyama easy shots…
“We’ve played a couple teams that are very similar, committed to guarding the paint with bodies… I think we have to make sure we don’t fight the game.”
On considering putting Dylan Harper out to close Game 1…
“There was definitely consideration… That comes when you have a lot of good players, those decisions, so Dylan did not finish the game by anything he did or did not do… I understand that there would be logic in having Dylan in that group, but I thought that group that was out there did some things during that stretch, and that’s who I rolled with.”
On the Spurs’ pace in the halfcourt…
“I thought some of the threes felt rushed… That’s just something we’ll have to continue to give feedback to the guys on and improve as the series goes on. Maybe more of those needed to be plays towards the rim or paint… It’s a very delicate ecosystem, where one thing leads to another, and the ripple effect can be rather grand when you pull back the layers… We have to continue to respect our style of play and our brand of basketball.”
On his confidence and adjusting for Game 2…
“I think we gave ourselves a lot aspects of the game we have to improve… The second-chance points is clearly one of them. 16 assists is not a reflection of this program, ever since I’ve been here or decades before I was, and we can be much sharper on just a lot of game plan execution stuff. You add that I think Victor will play better? Sure. A couple of guys will make more shots than they did? Agree.”
On the team’s youth and decisions under pressure…
“We talked about it, discuss it. Old teams make bad decisions too… We’ll walk it through on the court, rep it out, and trust our guys will continue to make good decisions.”
On Towns guarding Wembanyama…
“I thought our offense, in general, did not put people in the right situations and spots last night. New York had a lot to do with that… Towns, to your question, did a good job being physical… We didn’t play with the pass enough, we didn’t put enough pressure or force on the rim or the paint. It led to a lot of us making or missing shots, and playing with talent offensively instead of playing together and finding opportunities to take advantage of forcing defenses to make decisions… We have a lot of room for improvement on that going forward.”
JUNE 4, 2026 / 11:45 ET
Alvarado on the atmosphere
"The best atmosphere in the world."
Our Game 1 Player Correspondent Caleb Wilson caught up with Jose Alvarado after New York's big win!
Knicks take a 1-0 series lead in the NBA Finals 🏆 pic.twitter.com/ZZA9roosp4
— NBA (@NBA) June 4, 2026
JUNE 4, 2026 / 11:30 ET
The Brunson burner was lit last night
Jalen Brunson’s clutch performance is likely to be a hot topic during this afternoon’s media session.
Brunson now has 144 clutch Playoff points since the 2023 postseason. No other player has more than 85.
Jalen Brunson delivered in Game 1!
13 points in Q4.
30 for the game.Knicks take a 1-0 series lead in the 2026 NBA Finals 🏆pic.twitter.com/KlOo2pmA3f
— NBA (@NBA) June 4, 2026
JUNE 4, 2026 / 11:15 ET
