Having lost all four against the Celtics in the regular season, the New York Knicks didn't start as favourites when they crossed paths with defending champions in round 2 of the playoff series. However, as the tie progressed and injury issues began to cripple the Celtics, the Knicks grew into confidence and eventually won the series 4-2. With the victory, they have progressed to the Eastern Conference Final, and a daunting challenge in the form of the Indiana Pacers awaits.
The high-octane contest commences tonight, and ahead of the start, star guard Jalen Brunson reflected on the win against the Celtics and shared a message that highlights the current mentality of the team.
In the latest episode of the Roommates Show podcast, Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, each of whom played major roles in the upset victory, spoke about the mentality that allowed them to perform their best in such a crucial spot.
“Everyone thinks the pressure’s on us,” Brunson said. “There’s no pressure. We’re prepared. We’re ready to go. We’re not afraid to fail. There is no pressure in this type of situation … If we fail, alright, dust our shoulders off and go on to the next one.”
Despite the media pressure to win Game 6 after losing Game 5, the Knicks performed unfazed, with Jalen Brunson noting they played without feeling the weight of pressure.
Brunson praised Karl-Anthony Towns for gearing things up early in Game 6. “He set the tone, he got us going and he brought the energy from the start. And we needed that.”
Jalen also spoke about the important roles the rest of the roster played, from Mitchell Robinson overcoming his free throw-shooting woes to make positive contributions all series long to Mikal Bridges’ game-sealing defensive plays and clutch scoring in the fourth quarter.
“We needed that big time,” Brunson said of Bridges’ play. “The way he stepped up, damn, we’d be playing Game 7 right now [without it].”