NBA Finals: De'Aaron Fox Calls for Spurs Resilience Before Game 3: "We Have to Look Forward"

De'Aaron Fox addressed the media at San Antonio Spurs practice ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks. The point guard discussed the difficulty of defending Jalen Brunson in clutch moments, the atmosphere he expects in New York, the status of his ankle, and the need for the Spurs to respond after losing the first two games at home.

Q. One of the big stories heading back to New York is that your defense has done a great job forcing Jalen Brunson to miss a lot of shots, but obviously he still hit a couple of big baskets in the clutch. Can you talk about what makes him so difficult to defend in those situations?

DE'AARON FOX: Yeah, I mean, you see it and he has one of the best footworks in the game. Obviously, he's a player capable of making difficult shots. He can really shoot the ball. He's strong. People talk about his size; yeah, he's not tall, but he's strong and he knows how to get to his spots. He plays well with angles.

But I think we've done a good job on him throughout the course of the game, even though he's hit big shots. He was Clutch Player of the Year, obviously. He's probably the biggest reason why they're here. But we have to keep trying to make it difficult on him, and I think we're doing a pretty good job at that. He's played well despite it.

Q. How's the ankle after all this? It's been a couple of weeks since you initially twisted it. Where is it right now, how are you feeling with it? I don't see any tape. And second, as a veteran on this team, what are you telling your teammates about the environment they're going to walk into tomorrow? Could it be easier to be on the road in this situation?

DE'AARON FOX: I mean, the ankle is what it is. So it's not something that really concerns me.

Yeah, you're in New York. Even when they travel, you hear New York fans. When we came here during the regular season, we hit them first, they hit us back in the mouth and then, somehow, we weren't able to get our wheels back in motion. But I think we've been pretty good on the road during the playoffs, and obviously this team has also been really good at home.

We have to try to get out, and obviously it's easier said than done, but try to get the crowd out of the game early. I think even in our Game 7, we never really let the crowd get into the game. Obviously, easier said than done. But it's about trying to deny some of their runs. You know you're going to come here, it's going to be loud, it's going to be… I don't want to use the word "hostile," but it's going to be hostile.

So you try not to let the crowd get too much on their toes, because obviously this team plays, and usually it's the role players more than the stars who play better at home.

Q. In one word, what's the mentality heading into Game 3 and why that word?

DE'AARON FOX: Resilience. Obviously, losing two games at home is never ideal, but we have to be able to put those two games behind us and look forward, look at the game in front of us.

Q. Do you think having played a tough series against Minnesota and OKC has a negative effect on the Finals?

DE'AARON FOX: Obviously we had some tough series before. We played against teams that were physical, just like the Knicks are. Those things can take a toll. But it's the playoffs. Everybody's banged up. All the guys playing a lot of minutes have something hurting. That's never an excuse. But we have to go out and we have to play better.

Q. What's it been like having Luke as a teammate during this run? I know he's been in this scenario with Boston and obviously made an important block for you guys in Game 7 against Oklahoma City. What has he brought to this team and what has it meant to have him at this moment?

DE'AARON FOX: I think it's good, especially when you have someone who's already been through this type of thing before. He just brings a steady presence. Obviously, when you're coming off the bench for Victor, that's a tough task, because you're never going to give us everything that he leaves on the floor when he's not on the court. But I definitely think he's been really good for us and he's been through these moments. He's a calm presence. He knows exactly what his strengths are and he brings them every game.

Q. Maybe it doesn't have as much to do with the Finals, but more with you. What's it been like your relationship over the last year with everything with Under Armour, Curry Brand, the shoe change in the playoffs and building a new pair and all that?

DE'AARON FOX: I don't have much to say about that, at least not right now.

Q. You seemed to find some rhythm in that fourth quarter stretch. How can you take that and apply it more consistently in Game 3?

DE'AARON FOX: Just trying to stay aggressive. I think coming out from the start with the pedal to the metal, especially on the road, especially, obviously, being down 0-2, you have to try to come out and be the aggressor. We can't come out and play from behind, or when we get a lead we have to try to find ways to sustain it, because I think we had double-digit leads in both games.

So, obviously, the NBA is a game of runs and you're playing against a good team. Sometimes they're going to miss shots, sometimes they're going to make shots at the end of possessions or someone's going to make a tough shot. But we have to try to find a way to build on the leads we've gotten.