Mikal, KAT, Jalen & Josh Reflect After Advancing To Eastern Conference Finals! | May 16, 2025

Mikal, KAT, Jalen & Josh Reflect After Advancing To Eastern Conference Finals! | May 16, 2025

>> THAT’S CRAZY. ARE THEY READY? THIS IS FOR ANY OF YOU OR ALL FOUR OF YOU. OBVIOUSLY YOU GUYS ARE THE FIRST GROUP TO DO SOMETHING THAT NO KNICKS TEAM HAS DONE IN 25 YEARS. I KNOW YOU GUYS PLAY TO WIN CHAMPIONSHIPS, BUT COULD YOU FEEL HOW IMPORTANT A WIN LIKE THIS WAS IN THIS BUILDING TO THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN HERE LONGER THAN YOU GUYS HAVE AND THAT RIDE. >> YEAH. >> IT WAS DEFINITELY FELT THE ENERGY, THE WAY THEY’VE BEEN SUPPORTING US ALL YEAR. IT’S BEEN REMARKABLE. SO I’M JUST REALLY HAPPY THAT WE WERE ABLE TO DO THAT. >> THIS YEAR, NOT JUST NEXT YEAR. BIG PICTURE. BIG PICTURE. YES SIR. YES, SIR. >> KAT, YOU CAME OUT AGGRESSIVE. HOW IMPORTANT WAS IT TO SET THE TONE TODAY AND HOW MUCH OF THAT WAS A CONCERTED EFFORT FOR YOU TO COME OUT AND DO THAT? >> I MEAN, JUST WE TALKED ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS GAME AND. >> YOU KNOW. >> JUST MY. >> TEAMMATES TRUSTED. ME IN. POSITIONS TO SCORE. AND I’M GLAD I WAS ABLE TO REPAY THEIR TRUST WITH SOME BUCKETS. SO IT’S A REALLY TESTAMENT TO MY TEAMMATES, YOU KNOW, GETTING ME INVOLVED AND ALLOW ME TO BE AGGRESSIVE. AND IT’S BECAUSE OF THESE GUYS UP HERE THAT WE GOT THE WIN. >> JAYLEN I KNOW YOU GUYS AS AS A WHOLE SOMEWHAT WERE NOT PLEASED WITH THE INTENSITY LEVELS AND EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED IN GAME FIVE. AND THEN TONIGHT IT JUST SEEMED LIKE IT WAS THE EXACT OPPOSITE SORT OF ENERGY FROM YOU GUYS. WHERE DO YOU FEEL LIKE THAT CAME FROM? WHY DO YOU FEEL LIKE IT WAS SUCH A, YOU KNOW, SUCH AN OBVIOUS SWING? >> JUST THE, THE WAY THE WHOLE DAY OF GAME FIVE JUST WASN’T US. AND WE KNEW THAT. WE REFLECTED ON IT AND WE CAME BACK. WE KNEW THAT WE NEEDED TO BE READY AND NEEDED TO BE BETTER. THE WAY WE PREPARED, THE WAY WE TALKED OUT THERE, THE WAY WE MADE IT AN EMPHASIS TO HAVE EACH OTHER’S BACK AND CONTINUE TO COVER FOR EACH OTHER. JUST. FOCUSED ON THE DEFENSIVE SIDE OF THE BALL. AND WHEN WE’RE DOING THAT, I MEAN OFFENSE, I MEAN, WE’RE FLOWING. AND SO WE JUST GOT TO FOCUS ON THE LITTLE THINGS AND WE DID THAT. >> ANFERNEE I GUESS YOU’RE CLOSEST. SO, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS ALL HAD SUCH, YOU KNOW LIKE COLLEGE SUCCESS. YOU WON QUICKLY. YOU WENT TO THE FINALS. CAN YOU JUST IMAGINE HOW LONG YOU KNOW, WHAT IT MUST FEEL LIKE FOR A FAN BASE TO GO 25 YEARS LIKE THIS ONE HAS, WITHOUT MAKING A CONFERENCE FINAL AND SEEING THE SCENES OUTSIDE. OR IF YOU HAVE WHAT YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THIS MUST MEAN? >> YEAH, YEAH, I THINK JOSH SHOWED ME A VIDEO WALKING HERE, GUYS CLIMBING, CLIMBING UP LIGHT POLES AND STUFF. SO YEAH, IT’S CRAZY MAN. BUT YOU KNOW YOU KNOW GREAT FOR THEM. HAPPY FOR THEM. YOU KNOW OBVIOUSLY I’M NEW HERE BUT JUST KNOW HOW MUCH NEW YORK LOVES THEIR SPORTS AND ESPECIALLY THE KNICKS. SO JUST SO EXCITED TO BE A PART OF IT. AND I MEAN YOU KNOW THEY ENJOY IT FOR US RIGHT NOW. BUT OBVIOUSLY WE GOT WAY MORE TO GO. BUT YOU KNOW HAPPY FOR THEM. >> I GUESS ALSO FOR ANY OF YOU I KNOW YOU TALK ABOUT LOOKING AT THE VIDEOS OF WHAT THE FANS ARE LIKE OUTSIDE, BUT IT DIDN’T LOOK LIKE A CRAZY CELEBRATION FOR YOU GUYS ON THE COURT TODAY. IS THAT BECAUSE THIS IS A PART OF LIKE A STEPPING STONE OR. >> YEAH, YOU JUST MORE TO GO. YOU KNOW WE’RE NOT DONE. THAT’S JUST WHAT IT IS. AND WE CAME OUT THERE TONIGHT AND YOU KNOW PLAYED HARD HANDLED BUSINESS. BUT LIKE I SAID OUR SEASON IS NOT OVER. YOU KNOW WE GOT SO MUCH MORE TO GO. AND YOU KNOW WE I THINK WE PLAY ON WEDNESDAY. SO YOU KNOW GET READY TO PREPARE FOR THEM A WHOLE DIFFERENT TEAM. AND YEAH JUST A WHOLE NEW SERIES. >> HEY JOSH JUST FOR YOU, I KNOW YOU’VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT YOU GUYS COMING OUT WITH GOOD ENERGY, BAD ENERGY. AND WHAT WAS THE DIFFERENCE FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE TONIGHT? >> I FEEL LIKE WE JUST WATCHED THE FILM, AND I THINK WE WERE KIND OF DISCUSSING WITH OUR COMMUNICATION, OUR EFFORT, OUR SENSE OF URGENCY TO START THE GAME. SO THAT’S SOMETHING THAT WE JUST WE KNEW WE HAD TO FIX. WE WERE ABLE TO GET STOPS. WE WERE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE BETTER IN TRANSITION AND THEN GET OUT THERE AND PLAY, YOU KNOW, PLAY FAST AND HAVE FUN. AND I THINK THAT WAS THE BIGGEST THING THAT WE JUST FOCUSED ON WAS JUST OUR COMMUNICATION AND DEFENSIVE TRANSITION. >> THE SERIES STARTED. >> YOU GUYS WERE A PRETTY HEAVY UNDERDOG. DO YOU FEEL LIKE THIS IS AN UPSET? AND WHAT IS I GUESS TO BEAT THE DEFENDING CHAMPS, TO SEND THEM HOME? WHAT DOES THIS DO CONFIDENCE WISE FOR YOU GUYS MOVING FORWARD? >> I MEAN, UPSET OR NOT, WHATEVER IT IS WE BEAT A GREAT TEAM. THEY OBVIOUSLY LOST A HUGE PIECE. BUT REGARDLESS THE WAY THEY CAME OUT IN GAME FIVE, THEY KNEW THAT. I MEAN THEY’RE STILL A GREAT TEAM. AND SO REGARDLESS OF WHATEVER ANYONE THINKS, UPSET OR NOT, I MEAN, WE’RE JUST HAPPY TO COME OUT THIS SERIES WITH A WIN AND WE’RE MOVING ON. WE GOT TO PREPARE FOR ANOTHER TEAM. >> YOU GUYS HAVE ALL SAID AT ONE POINT OR ANOTHER THROUGH THIS PLAYOFF RUN, THAT YOU GUYS DIDN’T THINK THAT YOU PLAYED YOUR BEST BASKETBALL YET IN THE PLAYOFFS. JUST TODAY. WAS TODAY THE BEST BASKETBALL THAT YOU GUYS FEEL LIKE YOU’VE PLAYED IN THIS ENTIRE PLAYOFF RUN? AND IF SO, DO YOU THINK THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT’S REPLICABLE, THAT YOU CAN TAKE TO THE NEXT SERIES AND REPEAT WHAT YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO TONIGHT? >> I MEAN, I FEEL LIKE WE PLAYED 48 MINUTES TONIGHT AND. JUST THE WAY WE COMPETED, COMPETED AND COMMUNICATED OUT THERE. DEFINITELY ONE OF OUR BETTER PERFORMANCES. BUT I STILL FEEL LIKE WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO. JUST THE CONFIDENCE WE HAVE IN EACH OTHER AND EVERYTHING AND JUST KNOWING WHERE WE ARE. WE’RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE UNSATISFIED. >> FOR JOSH AND JALEN. YOU GUYS WERE HERE LAST YEAR. TOUGH LOSS TO INDIANA IN THE SECOND ROUND SEVEN GAMES. JUST WHAT I KNOW. YOU GUYS WERE PRETTY BANGED UP IN THAT SERIES TOO. BUT JUST YOU KNOW, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT TEAM GOING INTO MEETING THEM A SECOND YEAR IN A ROW? >> YEAH, MAN. IT’S GOING TO BE A TOUGH OPPONENT. YOU KNOW THEY THEY PUSHED THE PACE. THEY RUN ON MAKES MISSES. AND IT’S GOING TO BE A HUGE COMMUNICATION SERIES FOR US. WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE LOCKED IN ON EVERY POSSESSION. WE HAVE TO GET BACK DEFENSIVELY. SO YOU KNOW WE CAN BUILD OFF THIS GAME. I FEEL LIKE OUR DEFENSIVE TRANSITION, OUR COMMUNICATION WAS WAS GREAT TODAY AND THAT’S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN CARRY INTO THAT SERIES. BUT YOU KNOW DIFFERENT TEAM. AND WE’VE GOT TO MAKE SURE WE’RE PREPARED. >> JOSH YOU GUYS CLOSED OUT THE. >> FIRST QUARTER. >> VERY STRONG AND THAT LED INTO. >> THE SECOND QUARTER. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT WHAT WAS REALLY THE KEY FOR YOU GUYS TO GET THAT RUN. AND THEN ALSO YOU HAD A TURNOVER WHERE YOU HAD YOU THREW BEHIND MCHALE. DID MITCH COME AFTER YOU AND SAY WHY DON’T YOU THROW HIM THE LOB? >> NAH, NAH, MITCH AIN’T SAY NOTHING. I KNEW MITCH CAN’T JUMP OFF ONE FOOT, SO I DIDN’T WANT TO PUT HIM IN THAT POSITION. YOU KNOW, THERE’S NOT LIKE, YOUNG MITCH WHERE HE WAS LIKE SUPER ATHLETIC. IT’S A LITTLE OLDER, MITCH. BUT YEAH, BUT YOU KNOW, FOR US, YOU KNOW, WE. BIGGEST THING WE GOT TO END QUARTERS. END QUARTERS. RIGHT. AND YOU KNOW I FEEL LIKE THAT’S SOMETHING THAT WE DID. AND WE WERE ABLE TO PICK IT UP IN THAT SECOND, GET STOPS, RUN AND PLAY BASKETBALL. YOU KNOW EVERYONE PLAYED WELL. EVERYONE TALKED. EVERYONE COMMUNICATED MADE PLAYS OFFENSIVELY AND DEFENSIVELY. SO THAT’S SOMETHING THAT WE PREACH ALL THE TIME IS ANY QUARTER’S STRONG. AND YEAH HOPEFULLY MITCH FINDS A LITTLE MORE ATHLETICISM NEXT TIME I GOT HIM. >> A COUPLE MORE. >> KAT I’M CURIOUS IF YOU DURING THIS SIX GAME SERIES, IF YOU FEEL LIKE YOU LEARNED ANYTHING ABOUT THE GROUP THAT YOU GUYS HAVE, MAYBE SOMETHING YOU WANTED TO SEE FROM THE GROUP THAT MAYBE IT CONFIRMED OR SOMETHING THAT THAT PRESENTED ITSELF THAT THAT YOU DIDN’T EXPECT DURING THE SERIES? >> I WOULD I WOULDN’T SAY NOT EXPECT. BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU’RE IN THESE SITUATIONS, ESPECIALLY IN THE PLAYOFFS, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT TO WE TALK ABOUT THAT. YOU KNOW, THAT NEW YORK GRIT THAT THAT THAT RELENTLESS BELIEF THAT WE WE’LL NEVER LOSE. AND I THINK THAT THIS SERIES, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU WANT TO GO DEEPER INTO THE PLAYOFFS, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THAT. AND WE SHOWED IT THIS SERIES. AND I THINK THAT WAS REALLY SPECIAL FOR US. YOU KNOW, IN THE LAST SERIES WE SHOWED, YOU KNOW, WE WERE ABLE TO FINISH GAMES IN THE FOURTH QUARTER AND EVEN THE CLOSE GAMES WE’LL FIND A WAY TO WIN. BUT THIS SERIES WAS DIFFERENT BECAUSE WE PUT OUR WE HAD OURSELVES IN DEFICITS, YOU KNOW, 20 PLUS. AND WE STILL FOUND A WAY TO WIN. AND THAT’S A TESTAMENT TO THESE GUYS. YOU KNOW, NEVER NEVER NOT BELIEVING THAT WE’RE GOING TO WIN A GAME REGARDLESS OF HOW THE GAME IS GOING. AND REGARDLESS OF THE EBBS AND FLOWS OF A PLAYOFF SERIES OR A GAME, THIS TEAM HAS TREMENDOUS BELIEF IN EACH OTHER. AND WE BELIEVE THAT ANY TIME WE STEP ON THE COURT, WE HAVE A CHANCE TO WIN. >> THIS IS FOR WHOEVER THAT YOU KNOW. I KNOW THE JOB’S NOT DONE, BUT THE HURDLE THAT, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IN THE MEDIA FROM THE BEGINNING WAS AFTER CONSECUTIVE YEARS IN THE SECOND ROUND OF GETTING TO THE CONFERENCE FINALS. SO HOW MUCH PERSONAL SATISFACTION IS IT FROM YOU GUYS, IF AT ALL, TO GET TO THAT POINT AND CLEAR THAT HURDLE? >> WE’RE NOT THE MEDIA. WE DIDN’T WE DIDN’T BELIEVE IN, WHICH I BELIEVE IN WE BELIEVE IN EACH OTHER. WE KNOW WE COULD DO SOMETHING SPECIAL. AND AS LONG AS THE BELIEF IN THAT LOCKER ROOM IS THAT WE DON’T CARE WHAT ANYONE OUTSIDE THAT LOCKER ROOM SAYS. THAT’S ONE. >> GUYS, SINCE YOU ARE ABOUT THE SAME AGE, I WONDER WHO WAS THE BEST BASKETBALL WHEN THE KNICKS LAST MADE THE CONFERENCE FINALS BETWEEN YOU TWO? BETWEEN YOU FOUR. >> I’M THE OLDEST NOW. >> JOSH IS. >> OLDEST FOR SURE. LAUGHS HEY, >> SHOUT OUT BET BRO. HEY BET. >> WHO’S WATCHING. >> SORRY WHO’S THE BEST BASKETBALL BETWEEN YOU FOUR WHEN THE KNICKS LAST MADE THE CONFERENCE FINALS. >> I MEAN I’M JUST. >> WE WERE LIKE OH. >> HOW OLD ARE YOU? >> 29. >> PROBABLY ME I WAS. >> THE OLDEST. I’M THE TALLEST, BRO. WHAT, YOU MEAN IT’S PROBABLY ME? HAD TO BE ME. NAH, BRO. 20 AND 20. WHAT YEAR? ALSO HARDAWAY 2000. Y’ALL DID Y’ALL 2000. OH, YOU SEEN HIS GLASSES,

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