Knicks Bulletin: "In all honesty, there is no extra motivation."

The Knicks are just one day away from hosting the Pacers for their second-round matchup in the 2024 NBA playoffs so they went back to the Tarrytown lab on Saturday to start getting reps ahead of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

We will get saucier and spicier quotes once the ball is first tipped off and from Game 1 through the series-clinching Game 4 but that doesn’t mean quotes didn’t start emerging from New York and Indy in the last few hours.

Here is what a few Knickerbockers and Pacers coach Rick Carlisle had to say on May 4.

Tom Thibodeau

On understanding the challenges that facing the Pacers will give New York...

“We’ve got to study them well, know them inside and out. When the ball goes up, we have to be strong on both sides of the ball.”

On the possibility of expanding the rotation considering Indiana’s fast pace of play...

“We could. You have to look at who they’re playing as well. They’ve cut back, so it’s all about matchups.”

“Observing them in the playoffs, it seems they’re not doing the same stuff as in the regular season.”

On how the Knicks will adjust to the Pacers’ pick-and-roll-heavy playbook...

“We know they’re a multiple pick and roll team. You got pick and pop, pick and slip, so we got to be ready for that. You got to contain the ball. There are a lot of slips, a lot of flares. Just know what everyone likes to do and be in tune so your communication is critical.“

On Obi Toppin’s breakout season in Indiana after getting traded away by the Knicks...

“No (I’m not surprised about it), we knew he was a good player. Very athletic, runs the floor great, shoots the ball well, and can score. We loved having him. He was in a situation here where he was playing behind Julius, so that was the story behind that.”

On anticipating Brunson’s rise to stardom...

“I was pretty confident because I had watched him grow up. You see each step how much he was growing. His high school career was very storied, and his experience with USA Basketball in high school and college. Every year he’s gotten better, that’s a testament to his work ethic. It doesn’t surprise me.“

Jalen Brunson

On whether or not he’ll be extra motivated by going against the coach that didn’t trust him in Dallas...

“In all honesty, I said this last time, you’re in the playoffs now, there is no extra motivation.”

On getting just 10 minutes of play against the Clippers in Game 7 of the 2021 playoffs, one that saw Dallas getting eliminated and Rick Carlisle fired...

“It is what it is. The past is the past. Rick welcomed me into the league and helped me become the player [I am today] and helped me grow from Day 1. Coaches got to make decisions that better suit their teams. Whatever happened, happened, and we’re moving forward from there.”

Rick Carlisle (Indiana Pacers Head Coach)

On Jalen Brunson, who played for him at Dallas...

“He is a guy you would never bet against. You just don’t bet against that guy. I don’t know if anybody saw this coming, what he’s achieved for two years now, but if you know him and you know his character, you’re not surprised. You’re not shocked.”

“Just professional, great character, great basketball, great respect and love for the game. You cannot say enough great things about him and what he’s accomplished. He’s obviously a highly skilled player, but he’s got an indomitable will to accomplish what naysayers don’t think he can do. He’s just one of those kinds of guys. You have to respect what he’s doing.”

On scouting Brunson before the 2018 draft and learning about him from Villanova coaches...

“Right down the line, everybody (at Nova) responded the same thing, Jalen Brunson (is one of the greatest players in Villanova’s history). So there’s a program that’s got three national championships and he was a big part of two of those. He’s very special, he was great to work with in Dallas for I think it was three years.”

On Brunson’s performances against the Pacers earlier this season...

“The last two times we played him he had 40 in one game and 39 in the other. He’s leading the playoffs in scoring average. It’s pretty obvious that he established a very high level during the season, and he’s maintained and/or exceeded it in the postseason, and that’s hard to do.”

Josh Hart

On the Knicks beating the odds even without Julius Randle...

“He’s an All-Star. He [averaged] 24-9-5 or whatever it is, so that playmaking, shot making, is something that we’re missing.”

”It’s funny: when people talk about us they somehow forget the big void we have of 24-and-9 gone. It’s not like he’s out there with us 70–80 percent. He’s not out there. So that’s something that’s a big void that we knew was gonna be hard to fill; but his playmaking, his shotmaking, his energy is something that we definitely miss.”

Jimmy Butler (Miami Heat Player)

On getting eliminated from the playoffs nearly before they got started...

“If I was playing, Boston would be at home, [and] New York damn sure would be at home. Josh Hart? F–k that mean to me? Josh Hart? C’mon man.”

On his relationship with Tom Thibodeau...

“I love Thibs, but I don’t want Thibs. Thibs, I love you baby, but I want to beat you to a pulp. You want me. I don’t want you. It’s like a one-sided relationship. You in love with me and I love you but I’m not in love with you, you know what I’m saying.”

Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors Player)

On the Knicks not having a real shot at winning the championship...

“I didn’t say you weren’t gonna win your first-round series. I didn’t even say you weren’t gonna win the second-round series because if I’m honest, I think you guys should easily win the second-round series. So I didn’t say that. I said you couldn’t get to the promised land. And quite frankly, if I’m honest, I still don’t think you can.”

On Brunson’s struggles through the first two games of the first round and his improvement after that...

“How you bounce back when you have a bad game in these playoffs matters, and Jalen Brunson did that at a level that not many people [have] done before.”

“The Knicks need the version of Brunson that’s sharing and getting off the ball, getting to his spots and setting up shots for others.”