Jalen Brunson spoke after the New York Knicks' loss to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 3 of the NBA Finals. The point guard cited turnovers, fouls, offensive stagnation, and lack of attention to detail as key factors in the 115-111 defeat that cut the series to 2-1. Despite the Knicks' first loss in over 40 days, Brunson emphasized the same mentality: learn, maintain collective responsibility, and reset at 0-0.
Q. This is your first loss in over 40 days. In the second half, you shot eight free throws while the Spurs shot 24. Being in foul trouble with eight minutes left in the fourth quarter, did that limit you a bit on the defensive end?
JALEN BRUNSON: Yeah, I think we turned the ball over a lot, first and foremost, and we also fouled a lot and put them on the line about 30 times. With our live turnovers, we gave them opportunities to get out in transition. They capitalized on that. So, definitely, we fouled a lot.
Q. You finished 7 of 27 from the field in the fourth quarter, scoring 20 points. What contributed to that stagnation? Were you happy with the shots you were getting in the fourth quarter?
JALEN BRUNSON: I liked some of the shots, but I also think we were pretty stagnant. There are definitely things we can learn from. Especially with our approach starting the game and the way we started the second half. I don't think we did that well, and I don't think I did that well either.
Q. Overall, did you get to the areas you wanted to get to, or did they make you uncomfortable on some of your shot attempts?
JALEN BRUNSON: Maybe a mix of both. But I think what's most important are the little things, the attention to detail, the things we take pride in, and we didn't do that tonight. So, regardless of the shots we were getting, the little things can decide a game.
Q. There was a lot of anticipation from the fans. How would you describe your own personal anticipation? What were your emotions before taking the court?
JALEN BRUNSON: I was locked in and ready to play. Yeah, basically that.
Q. Before tonight, a lot of people were already talking about a 3-0 lead or even a championship. How important is it for a team to keep their feet on the ground when everyone around them is looking ahead?
JALEN BRUNSON: Yeah, it's very important. We've talked constantly among ourselves that everything is 0-0. Even now, it's 0-0. And as we move forward, trying to keep ourselves locked in, there are going to be a lot of distractions, positive and negative, but what's most important is how we maintain composure as a team and make sure we have accountability as a team. We win or lose and we move forward as a team.
Q. What happened between you and Victor in the first quarter? And did his level of physicality bother you?
JALEN BRUNSON: No. No, to answer your second question. And what you saw is what you saw.
Q. It's been a while since you lost a game, and there's nothing good about losing. How do you take this feeling, put it in a box, and carry it into Game 4?
JALEN BRUNSON: I think whether we win or lose as a team, our mentality is always to improve the next day. So we've done everything we can to try to learn from the wins over the last few weeks. But now we have to learn from a loss. I think what's most important is that we're going to learn anyway, because we knew there were things we were going to have to improve on going into the next game. So the mentality stays the same.
Q. It seemed like, with about five and a half minutes left, you touched the ball, it got to OG, he was open, and the referees stopped play. Did they give you any explanation of what happened there?
JALEN BRUNSON: I think maybe they gave it to the coaches. They handed me the ball, so I passed it. That's all I can tell you.