Knicks Bulletin: ‘He’s one person I really don’t worry about at all’

New York showed Indianapolis how it’s done in a triumphal home opener inside MSG.

The New York Knicks unofficially opened their season one game later than expected destroying a bunch of fake-contenders from Indianapolis 123-98 inside Madison Square Garden on Friday night.

Pacers wannabe-All-Star Tyrese Haliburton—who got molly-hit with the chair once and for all—scored all of zero points, four Knickerbockers hit 20+ chicken wings, and New York barbequed Indy in their first game home.

Here is a bunch of stuff said by Coach Thibs, a few players, and some Indiana residents running out of excuses.

Tom Thibodeau

On bouncing back from the loss to Boston:

“The character of our team is very strong.

“No one wants to not do well, but you have to do it together. When you do it together, good things will come from that.

“I love the way our guys responded.”

On not hunting for 3-point shots:

“We need easy baskets. I don’t want it to be like you’re compelled: ‘Oh we have to take 50 threes.’ No, we have to take the right shots.

“We want as many layups as we can get, as many free throws as we can get, and as many threes as we can get. Everyone shares and is creating those shots. That’s what we have to do.”

On Mikal Bridges’ stupid shooting slump:

“When you think about it logically, I think where we are today, with social media, everybody wants to have an opinion on everything. And yet the guy who’s doing the work every day, when you watch him work, you know how much he puts into it—no one is gonna shoot great for 82 games.

“Oftentimes, you’re in preseason and just trying to work through things and get in a rhythm, and you’re trying to figure out a new system and new teammates. And each day, that gets better and better. But if you think logically, this guy has shot almost 38 percent from 3 for his career.

“Me, I’d bet on that.”

On Karl-Anthony Towns’ performance against the Pacers:

“I thought Karl had a monster game.”

On the team’s response in the win over the Pacers and improving on defense:

“I love the way our guys responded to the game.

“Just I thought the fight was a lot greater, the togetherness, and I thought helping each other out was a lot better.

“And so as the communication improves, I think we are still a work in progress, we have to get a feel, but the way we played together, and guys did a lot of different things.”

On rookie Pacome Dadiet’s role:

“Just next man get in there. So he’s done a good job, worked hard and wanted to get a look at him. Obviously we thought Landry was playing well, we were going that way, but we like what we’ve seen from him. He was the next man in the rotation. Get in there and get the job done.”

Jalen Brunson

On the response after the Boston game:

“We just showed up. Plain and simple.

“I think Boston came out with an energy that we just didn’t match, and it’s unacceptable.

“Today, we knew that we had to pick it up. We had to turn the page and be better. I feel like we did that tonight, so that’s something we can grow off of.

“I learned tonight we know how to respond. We have to make this the norm and we have to continue to grow.”

On MSG atmosphere:

“It’s electric and I never get tired of it. This is unbelievable.”

On making teammates feel included:

“Making sure everyone has confidence. No matter what the situation is, no matter what is said on the outside, just making sure we’re giving each other confidence.

“We’re all we got inside the lines, and so it doesn’t matter what happens outside of there. It’s all about us.”

On Josh Hart’s comments on not knowing his role:

“He just talks to talk. He’s one person I really don’t worry about at all. He doesn’t know when to stop talking.”

Mikal Bridges

On playing at MSG for the home opener:

“It was dope, man. Just the excitement in here; it’s really crazy. Just happy to get a win.”

On using the midrange game:

“I just think when you watch the playoffs, a lot of guys get to the midrange.”

On Brunson and Hart’s leadership:

“Those are our leaders and they’ve been here. They’re just trying to make [it] easy on everybody else. They know the offense better than anybody, so they kind of know when they’ll get their shots. It speaks to how unselfish they are and just trying to win.”

Karl-Anthony Towns

On the Knicks’ defensive identity:

“Listen, if we play defense the way we played tonight—we haven’t had any problems scoring the basketball, but the defensive side—if we can have an identity, I think that we could be a really good team and we could do some magical things.”

On working with Jalen Brunson:

“Just blessed we get a chance to call him Cap.”

On never doubting Mikal Bridges’ shooting skills:

“I never thought he wasn’t in his bag. That was preseason. I could’ve sworn when we started the game in Boston, it was 0-for-0. He did his job when the lights turned on.”

Josh Hart

On the team’s bounceback after a rough season opener:

“Whenever you get your butt kicked on national TV in the NBA, it means you have to step it up.

“I think it’s just we laid a big egg that first game. I feel like I didn’t bring it defensively or with energy or stuff like that.

“We kind of knew this would be a good game for us. One thing I do, whether I make or miss shots, is having that intensity, that energy.

“Obviously, home opener, the place was electric. That helped.”

Mitchell Robinson

On taking it easy with his recovery process this time:

“You seen what happened when I rushed to come back? I was back out. At this point, I gotta make sure I’m good for life, too. C’mon, now. Let’s not be selfish here.

“But we’re going to be good. We’re going to be alright. We’re going to be okay. Promise you we’re going to be straight.”

On his rehab progress:

“Rehab is going great, I’m not going to lie. I’m very proud of the work from this week and last week. Good signs, good signs.”

On his new teammate Karl-Anthony Towns:

“He’s a great guy, bro. When I’m in the weight room, he’s in there. Vibes are great. We’re bumping that country [music]. We’re going at it in the weight room just knocking our workouts out.”

On honing his skills and developing new defensive moves:

“You do know what I want to try this year, though? When I’m guarding somebody, usually I’ll be like an arm’s reach a little bit. Probably like a foot back. I feel like I’m really going to start pressing because I know I’m quick enough to recover if I’m guarding you.

“I got a little technique and most of the time it works. I really got some tricks up my sleeve.”

Deuce McBride

On the advice he gave rookie Ariel Hukporti to get Thibs’ trust:

“Don’t throw these minutes away. That’s how I earned minutes. In this little time, that’s how he builds trust…”

Rick Carlisle (Indiana Pacers Coach)

On the challenge of facing the Knicks (before the game):

“There’s certainly nothing easy about it. It’s gonna be hard. They’re a top team. They’re projected to be way up there. Regardless of what happened in Boston the other night, they’re coming home, we’re coming off of last year’s playoffs.

“This will be, on your third day of the regular season, this will be the closest thing to a Game 7 atmosphere and feel. So it’s a privilege to have the opportunity to compete in that environment and this venue, and we’ve gotta embrace that and keep understanding how hard it’s gonna be.”

Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers Player)

On his performance against the Knicks:

“I just was bad, bro. It happens.

“We just missed shots. Listen, last time we were in this building we probably played the best game of the season. And today will be the worst game of the season…They’re a good team…We’ll see them again…”

On not hitting shots:

“Yeah, I’m straight man. I’m just not making shots. It’ll come.”