NBA FINALS: KNICKS VS. SPURS

June 8, 2026

Jalen Brunson

New York Knicks

Game 3: Postgame

San Antonio Spurs 115, New York Knicks 111

Q. This is the first loss in more than 40 days. Going to the second half, eight free throws you got, while the Spurs got 24. Being in the penalty with eight minutes left in the fourth quarter, did that make you restricted a little bit on the defensive end?

JALEN BRUNSON: Yeah, I think we turned the ball over a lot, first and foremost, and also we were fouling a lot and put them at the line about 30 times. With our live ball turnovers, got them out in transition. They were capitalizing off of those. So we were definitely fouling a lot.

Q. You guys went 7-for-27 from the field in the fourth, 20 points. What was contributing to some of the stagnancy? Did you like the looks you were getting in the fourth?

JALEN BRUNSON: I liked some of the looks, but I also think we were pretty stagnant. There's definitely things that we can learn from. Especially with our approach when we start the game and with the way we start the half, I don't think we did well and I don't think I did well either.

Q. For you in general, did you get to the spots you wanted to get to or were they bothering you on some of your shot attempts?

JALEN BRUNSON: Maybe a mix of both. But I think most importantly, the little things, the attention to detail, the stuff that we pride ourselves on, we didn't do it tonight. So regardless of whatever shots we were getting, the little things could make or break a game.

Q. There was a lot of anticipation from the fans. How would you describe your own personal anticipation? What were your emotions before you took the court?

JALEN BRUNSON: I was locked in and ready to go. Yeah, that's pretty much it.

Q. Before tonight, a lot of people were already talking about a 3-0 lead or even a championship. How important it is for a team to stay grounded when everyone around you is looking ahead?

JALEN BRUNSON: Yeah, it's very important. We've consistently talked to each other about everything being 0-0. Even now, it's 0-0. And moving on, trying to stay focused, there are going to be a lot of distractions, positive and negative, but most importantly is how we compose ourselves as a team and make sure we have accountability as a team. We win or lose and go forward as a team.

Q. What happened between you and Victor in the first quarter, and did their level of physicality bother you?

JALEN BRUNSON: No. No, to answer your second question. And whatever you saw is what you saw.

Q. You guys have not lost a game in quite some time, and there's nothing good about losing a game. How do you take this feeling, put it in a box and put it toward Game 4?

JALEN BRUNSON: I think win or lose as a team, our mindset is always getting better the next day. So we've done our best to try to learn from wins over the past couple weeks. But now we have to learn from a loss. But I think the most important thing is that we are going to learn regardless, because we knew there were things that we were going to have to improve on going into next game. So mindset stays the same.

Q. Looked like with about five and a half minutes left, you guys batted the ball, got it to OG, it was open and the refs called it dead. Did you guys get an explanation of what happened there?

JALEN BRUNSON: I think maybe the coaches did. Ball was handed to me, so I passed it. So that's all I got for you.