EMIRATES NBA CUP

December 16, 2025

Dylan Harper

San Antonio Spurs

Championship Postgame

New York Knicks 124, San Antonio Spurs 113

Q. Just a couple months into your career, to be able to play on a stage like this, what do you think you can take from that long term and how do you think you handled that stage tonight?

DYLAN HARPER: It was an unbelievable experience to be a part of this. Like you said, I'm three months into the NBA and I get to go do things like this with a great group of guys. Just the mindset we went into the game. I think it got away from us in the fourth quarter, but overall, we're going to take a lot from it and we're going to apply it to next time.

Q. I know everybody wants the money; goes without saying. But outside of the disappointment from that, what can you take from this game and learn perfect it when you get back on this stage and play for a trophy or a playoff game or something like that again?

DYLAN HARPER: I mean, it's do-or-die. I think out there, you've seen the level of intensity rise up for us and them. Obviously they came out with the win.

But for us, it's just not take anything for granted. I think that's the biggest thing. We all go out there, we know we all got to go out there and play 110 percent in order to win things like this. At least for me, I've got a lot more times to hopefully come back and play in this event. I'm very excited just to be in this position.

Q. You get to close the game with De'Aaron, Steph, Vic out there. The halfcourt offense didn't seem to work well. I know you're a rook, but what did you feel needed to change out there, and what do you think will be able to get better?

DYLAN HARPER: It's our second time all being out there together. I think that Vic just got back. Steph just got back. All of us were out at one time. Just finding out how to play with each other at a high level I think comes with time and comes with experience. We don't got a lot of that.

I think over the next course of the season we are going to see a lot differently when we get to close games and stuff like that.

Q. How hard is closing out a game, a real high-stakes game like this?

DYLAN HARPER: It's hard. Obviously everyone is going out there to play 110, 120 percent. But I think for us, sticking down and doubling down on our game plan would probably be the biggest thing for us. You see how hard we are playing out there. We are diving for loose balls, going to get offensive rebounds and just doing anything we could do to help our team win.

Q. You guys played the first game together with the whole team in the semifinals. How much room do you think there is to grow for you guys because you haven't even really played together?

DYLAN HARPER: Sky is the limit. Like you said, it's our second game. It's nothing to overreact about. We have won a lot of close games in the Cup or in the season in general. To be on this side is definitely a good learning experience. It teaches us a lot about ourselves and it's good that we have a whole lot of room to grow, knowing what we have done up to this point.

Q. Having a dad that has won five NBA championships, and before playing a high-stakes game like this, do you get a chance to talk to him and get any advice?

DYLAN HARPER: Yeah, like he always tells me, there's 82 games in the season. There's a lot of ups and downs. Every game is not going to go your way and the ball might not bounce your way.

But at the end of the day, find a way to stay kind of level through it all. All the emotions will go up and down, but as long as you stay kind of level-headed, it's all going to work out. So that's the biggest thing he's told me.