Knicks Bulletin: ”He should win MVP.”

The Knicks got a statement win over the No. 1 team in the NBA on Thursday, instilling some fear in a Beantown Boys squad that didn’t rest anybody but still fell soundly against a New York team that gave Boston no option.

The win left the Knicks one single game behind Milwaukee for the No. 2 seed while also adding a solid one-game distance between them and No. 4 Cleveland with just a couple of games to go.

Here is what a bunch of Knickerbockers said after Thursday’s game and ahead of Friday’s cross-town matchup against the Nets.

Tom Thibodeau

On what beating Boston means in the grand scheme of things...

“Obviously, we know how good they are and to win a game on the road is hard. We’ve been a good road team all year. But they don’t count any more than any other game. But it’s a good test for us to show us exactly where we are.”

“Like I said, in every game there’s things you do well, things you don’t do as well as you would like. But this team tests you in a lot of different ways.”

On not playing his starters in the fourth quarter as the team saw their advantage go down to single digits...

“You got to play 48 minutes, and we didn’t do that. I don’t wanna see the same mistakes repeated over and over. And I want us to understand there’s a difference in the fourth quarter, and I want us to understand what it is to use good judgment in the fourth quarter. And so, those are things you evaluate, because you’re determining your rotation based on those things. When you say, how do you evaluate a player? That’s really how you evaluate a player.”

On Jalen Brunson’s year...

“The numbers are staggering.”

On entering Thursday’s game knowing they had already clinched a postseason berth...

“We celebrated ahead of tipoff. We just wanted to be aware. So as you go, you’re just checking the boxes. You take it one day at a time. It’s not over. You have to go through the finishing line.”

“For some teams—the Celtics have built up a big cushion, so they’re in a different category—but for the rest of us, we’re all fighting for seeding and home-court and that sort of thing. So that’s our challenge.”

Jalen Brunson

On the undisputable win over Boston...

“The ball went in a lot tonight. This isn’t the Celtics we’ve seen for 80 games. We had their number tonight.”

“We made shots and made the right plays. Obviously, we know they’re the top dog in the East.”

“Whenever you play against them, it’s always a good measuring stick to see where you’re at. We played pretty well, but we know what they’re capable of doing.”

OG Anunoby

On the victory against the Celtics...

“I think [the Knicks are peaking at the right time] for sure. We got stops. And we got out, spread the floor, got out and scored. JB [Jalen] was getting into the paint, Josh [Hart], Donte [DiVincenzo], Isaiah [Hartenstein]. We have a great team.”

On Brunson seemingly leveling up each passing game...

“It’s special. The way he plays, the things he can do, it’s definitely special. He’s one of the best in the league. He’s playing like an MVP.”

”He should win MVP.”

On Bojan Bodganovic early struggles in New York and his late-season improvements...

“A trade is a tough thing to go through. Every day [Bogdanovic] is just getting more comfortable doing what he does.”

Bojan Bogdanovic

On slowly but surely adapting to the team, his role as a reserve, and gearing up for the playoffs...

“I’ve been confident, even with a lot of ups and downs that I’ve had with the Knicks.”

“I’m feeling more comfortable in my role right now. Kind of adjusting a little bit because it’s not the same. I’ve been a starter for 10 years, but here going into the playoffs, I hope that I’m starting to play way better and keep my level up.”

Josh Hart

On what locking a top-6 seed on Wednesday’s day off meant to him and the team...

“Clinching the playoffs means nothing. It’s nothing that—we expected to do it at the beginning of the year. It’s cool. We’re going to the playoffs.”

“Making the playoffs was something that was expected. So it’s cool, but I’m not gonna sit there and be like ‘Oh my god, I’m so excited.’ That’s what we expected to do.”