Knicks Bulletin: “What he offers our team is worth every dollar”

As if the wait for Santa’s midweek arrival wasn’t already long enough, the New York Knicks made us wait to celebrate what ended up being another dub in New York’s collective bag, this time a 104-93 win about NOLA.

The Knicks got off to a slow start, but now that they had a bona fide superstar in their ranks, they had no problem erasing a 14-point deficit and adding their 18th win to their tally. At 18-10, they are now third best in the East.

Here’s what Coach Thibs and several other Knicks had to say before and after yesterday’s affair.

Tom Thibodeau

On Jalen Brunson’s impact in the comeback win over the Pelicans:

“We had problems in our second quarter and then we were struggling. And then of course Jalen taking the shot and lifting everyone up.

“We struggled and then we just found a way to win.”

On Karl-Anthony Towns’ foul trouble that changed the game:

“That was a challenge. The foul problem with KAT kind of got us out of rhythm and then we were sloppy with the ball. That was a problem, but then I thought Mikal (Bridges) got going and he and OG (Anunoby) in the third (quarter ) were great defensively.

“The big thing is KAT’s fouls. I want to look at them. I think we can fix some of these with discipline. And that threw us out of our rhythm. We just have to get better at that.”

On Jericho Sims’ defensive contributions outside the stadium on Saturday:

“When Jericho was in there, his defense had a big impact on the game.”

In defense of OG Anunoby against top players:

“Yes, and that’s the beauty of OG. Sometimes you look at the score but don’t realize what impact it has on the game. It’s not an easy task.

“A guy like Julius and a guy like Anthony Edwards have to compete against them on every possession, and sometimes you can play great defense on them and they can still make shots.

“You make a commitment and you have to keep going, a second, third and fourth try. But OG, he’s as good as it gets defensively.”

On the Curtsy‘Adjustments for Saturday and lessons learned from their previous win over the Pelicans:

“Not much. Because they’ve been hit hard by injuries and so they’re bringing some players back and that affects every team. So take a look at where you are and who they have available. And every game is different. And even if they’re the same players, it’s different because you don’t know – you don’t know where they are in their itinerary and where the game is going. Maybe you have a rest advantage in certain situations, so I think you have to take all the variables into account.

“The challenge in this league is that you have to be ready every night because any team can beat you.”

Jalen Brunson

On his goal score in the second half:

“A fire was lit and I found a way to get some shots off and turn defense into a good offense. And from there we obviously found a way.”

To adapt to different defense strategies:

“Every night it’s different. I have to stay focused and know that it’s not always the same, so I can’t get frustrated and think it will be the same or easy.

“I have to involve my teammates and stay aggressive.”

On his shooting rhythm and leadership:

“You have to read the game and when I saw one come in, I took another look and knew it was time to go. We took the lead and from then on we played well with the lead.”

How to stay calm under pressure:

“The ball continued to go through the basket. At the end of the game I was just a touch more aggressive.

“Just a shout out to everyone who made stops, ran across floors, got into space and completed a run.

“(The Pelicans) were aggressive. Put under pressure. But I lost a few balls early on. I think I had three in the first half. I was able to really understand what was going on and just be smart. I allowed myself to be myself and not allow myself to be rushed.”

On the team’s progress and unity:

“There is still room for improvement, but I think we are on the right track. We find ways to win… and most importantly, we stick together.”

Josh Hart

On OG Anunoby’s defensive abilities:

“I know OG puts a lot of people in jail. He’s someone we’re good at putting on the island with anyone, big or small, and he’ll change attitudes. I don’t understand how he can do half of it.

“Sometimes when he’s guarding like (Philadelphia’s) Tyrese Maxey, he’s able to influence shots and stay in front of him, even though he knows Tyrese is crazy fast and OG isn’t. I have to say what it is. Then you put him alongside people like Julius, who is physically very strong, plays in the post and can hold his own.

“So he’s a monster on defense alone and should definitely be a first- or second-team all-defense player. We feel comfortable with this matchup against him and anyone else.”

On the challenge of playing against teams with poor records without falling into the trap:

“I think the biggest thing you learn is that there are good players on every team. And if you go in with the mentality that this team is struggling or not healthy, or maybe you don’t know a few names – if you go in with that mentality, it’s going to be a tough game and a game that you very well may lose. So you can’t look at her file.

“They have talented pieces who can play offense and defense. You have a good coach. So you have to start with that mentality.”

On the Pelicans bench, the ball boy is asked to sweep the floor and the poor guy gets a technician:

“The bench screamed, ‘Sweep, sweep.’ And not one person had fallen to the ground.”

On Pelicans coach Willie Green’s influence on his career:

“He was my third coach in three years. I come from Stan (Van Gundy), where I probably had one of the worst years of my career. And Willie just believed in me.

“I didn’t want to come back but I spoke to him and we agreed at the start of the year. He just trusted me. He put me in a position to be successful as a playmaker and goalscorer. I think that’s the biggest thing. He trusted me as a player, but even more so as a person. And that really boosted my confidence. See, the games I played there, I think I’ve almost reached my average average that I have now.

“I think I’m probably in one of the best years of my career now. I’ve always loved Willie. He changed things for me. I always give Willie great credit for changing the trajectory of my career.”

OG Anunoby

On his approach to protecting all types of opponents:

“Just try to make it as difficult for him as possible. Make him uncomfortable, force him to give him hard blows.”

Karl Anthony cities

On Jalen Brunson’s lead in Saturday’s comeback:

“This is Captain, this is Cap. You know what I think of him: one of the most talented players in this league, regardless of position. He went out there and did what he does best. He was fantastic.”

On lessons learned from a tough game against the Pelicans:

“I think it’s a good lesson for us, it’s a good game for us. I don’t think we’ve had a game like this all year. It was a completely different game with a different script.

“I think we did a good job of learning from our other games and from our losses. And we found a way to play through that game and play at a high level at the end when we needed to.”

On OG Anunoby’s contributions to the Knicks:

“OG has been special all year long. We talk about it every day.

“He is so special. He is one of the best two-way players in the NBA. What he offers our team is worth every dollar.”

Mikal Bridges

On OG Anunoby’s defensive impact:

“It’s just who he is. Ever since I’ve known OG, he’s just been a menace.

“I think when Julius tried to isolate me, I thought, ‘Ohh,’ when he insulted Julius. It surprised me.

“So he just stays locked in and does all the little things. We appreciate it and we need it.”