Saturday’s Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals didn’t end the way the Knicks wanted after losing to the Indiana Pacers, 125-108, ending their season.
While it’s hard to look on the bright side after a disappointing end to the campaign — one that was two wins away from New York being in the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999 — Jalen Brunson was asked what positives could be taken from an otherwise successful year.
“I think the way this team progressed this year, for me, it was fun,” Brunson said after the loss. “A lot of people saying we couldn’t do a lot of things, a lot of negativity around what we were trying to accomplish and the way we kind of put blinders on and went to work, that’s what I’m most proud of with this team.”
After finishing with their best record since the 2012-13 season, the Knicks showed a lot of grit and were able to play through tons of adversity.
Whether it was Brunson’s injury toward the end of the season, losing every regular season game against the top teams in the NBA in the Oklahoma City Thunder, Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics, or going further in the playoffs than most thought they would, the Knicks proved a lot of doubters wrong.
Not to mention, the onslaught of critics of head coach Tom Thibodeau, and how the addition of new players like Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges would fit in his system.
“You make the moves to win so it hurts. It hurts not to be able to bring an opportunity to the city for a championship,” Towns said. “We got a bunch of great guys in that locker room and the plan now is to just put ourselves in this position again and succeed next time.”
And while it’s hard to think about in this moment, the Knicks, indeed, are set up for success in the future.
Not only have they improved their regular season record over the last four years, they’ve played deeper into the postseason in each season too.
And if you ask Brunson if he thinks this team has the mettle to take that final leap, it isn’t even a question.
“The most confidence. Over-confident, seriously,” he said. “There’s not an ounce of any type of doubt that I’m not confident in this group.”
“You’re always gonna hear me say run it back,” Josh Hart added. “I think I said the same thing last year of the guys that we had. I’d like to do it, I feel like this team is good enough to make the next step.”
Hart continued: “I think we handled adversity well. I think we grew as a team. There were good moments and bad moments, just like every season. We’ll continue to make strides, continue to improve.”
While looking toward the future can be a mini escape of what just transpired, nobody on the Knicks is pleased with the result of the season. Not yet, at least.
“Sucks man. Simple as that. It sucks,” Brunson said.
