Knicks Bulletin: “Competitors compete.”

New York celebrated the Knicks’ 50th win this season on Sunday as Tom Thibodeau and the boys went on to beat the Bulls in overtime on their way to the postseason in possession of the No. 2 seed in the East.

A bunch of fools decided to play games and mess with the Basketball Gods. Not the Knicks, who will face the Sixers or the Heat in the first round tipping off Saturday at MSG.

Here is what Thibs and a bunch of players said before and after the season finale.

Tom Thibodeau

On not being worried about whoever ends up being the Knicks’ first-round opponent...

“I think when you have competitors, it doesn’t matter. Competitors compete.”

On not resting players and competing till the final buzzer...

“It’s a goal to be the best team we can be by the end of the year, and for us now it’s just move on from that.”

On having blue-collar players that don’t need any extra motivation...

“You don’t have to wind these guys up and that’s what I love about them. Sometimes we’re not going to be perfect, we’ll make some mistakes, but they’re going to compete and I think that’s important.”

On being questioned for using his strategy of not resting players at all during the final few games including Sunday’s...

“Really? I mean the object is to win. Put everything you have into winning. That’s the bottom line.”

On not caring about avoiding this or that team...

“The object is to win. Put everything you have into winning. That’s the bottom line.”

On preparing for the playoffs without knowing their first-round opponent until Wednesday...

“Our video guys, advance guys, scouts… they’re in heaven right now getting to prepare for everybody.”

On the Knicks roster outlook...

“Well, once, they’re high character guys. They care about the team and that’s important to us as an organization, so I think Leon and his staff have identified those types of players and I think they come in and fit in. Even the guys that aren’t in the rotation are adding a lot to our team as well with the way they prepare, the way they practice, and the way they support each other. We always talk about we have to be the best team, be the best team. It’s not the best individual, be the best team.”

On maintaining focus and readiness by not resting players...

“Just stay focused on the task at hand, finish the season, finish everything. No shortcuts. Early start. Be ready, and that’s our challenge.”

On what Precious Achiuwa adds to the team and how he helped late against the Bulls...

“When teams go small, what Precious gives you is the ability to switch. So I think that’s important for us as well. And then he had a big put-back, too.”

On Mitchell Robinson’s second-half absence on Sunday...

“They just told me he was unavailable in the second half.”

On OG Anunoby limping around the court...

“Everybody has a little limp. If you’re playing hard, there’s something. It’s 82 games into the season. Jesus.”

On OG putting the clamps on DeRozan...

“[OG] showed a lot of mental toughness. DeMar is a lot to deal with on every possession. He’s a great shot-maker. One of the best. And, OG, the thing I love, he’s going to make you work. Even if you score, he’s going to come back the next time and do it again and again and again. That’s what I love about him. His staying power.”

On overcoming adversity and the Knicks’ ever-fighting spirit...

“That’s what I love about this team. And it started right from the beginning. Mitch got hurt, then Julius, then OG.

“(Winning) is not (about) the best individuals. It’s the best team. There was no quit in this team. Some nights, we fell short. We learned from it and got better. The spirit of this team is very strong.”

Jalen Brunson

On OG and Precious Achiuwa putting the clamps on the Bulls...

“They played great. They got key stops. It’s what they do. We’re not surprised. We’re just happy that they make plays like that.”

On fighting through the full 82-game schedule and sweating Sunday’s win...

“It’s a goal to be the best team we can be by the end of the year, and for us now it’s just move on from that. It’s something to be crossed off and we have to get better from here.”

On never stopping trying to improve...

“We’re trying to create good habits that will turn out on the court. So obviously going forward, we’re gonna have a tough opponent, but we’re just focusing on, how can we be the best team that we can be?”

Precious Achiuwa

On OG Anunoby’s skills and mindset...

“He’s a hell of a defender. I think he plays the same way from tipoff to the end of regulation. His intensity on the defensive end is always the same, and he’s a killer on that side.”

On giving DeMar DeRozan no option on Sunday helped by Anunoby...

“For us, [switching is] always automatic. What’s [OG] hears my voice, I’m coming up and I’m calling out the screen. He just knows he’s switching right away.”

On the synergy between him and OG...

“We’re very similar when it comes to defensive capabilities in a lot of ways, so we just always talk about switching.”

“For both of us, it’s always easier: We have size and the mobility to move sideways, up-ways, whatever the case is. That’s how we’ve always played whenever we’re on the floor together.”

Donte DiVincenzo

On not messing around with the Basketball Gods as all other teams seemed to do on Sunday...

“We don’t care what they’re doing. We’re focused on our locker room. Whatever they decide to do, that’s their team, their organization’s decision. Our decision was to play. Everybody played and we won the game.”

On resting 29 seconds on Sunday and playing till the final buzzer...

“You know who we play for. Everything counts. It doesn’t matter the type of game it is. We want to win every single game.”

On having OG Anunoby back playing for the Knicks...

“It makes our lives a lot easier. There’s less different actions, more one on one. At the end of the day, we’re living with—one on one—OG versus anyone in the league.”

On what Sunday’s win meant to the Knicks...

“It’s huge, 50-win season, best fans in the league. Hell of a regular season. Let’s get ready for the playoffs.”

On getting ready for the playoffs...

“First and foremost you start building—not start building—you keep building on your habits you’ve been doing all season. You want to be as sharp as possible heading into that first game. Every team in the East we know pretty well, so then once we know then you game plan. Until then you just keep building your habits and try to get as sharp as possible.”

OG Anunoby

On what playing for the Knicks means for him...

“Oh it’s a great team, great organization. Front office is great. Fans are great. Great city. MSG is great. It’s been great so far.”

Josh Hart

On not playing around with seeding...

“At the end of the day, we’re going to have to show up and go to work in the playoffs either way. So for us it really doesn’t matter.”