Jalen Brunson, one step away from the ring: "Our focus is one possession at a time"

The New York Knicks are just one win away from conquering the NBA championship for the first time since 1973. After a historic comeback in the fourth game of the Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, the New York team leads the series 3-1 and will have the first opportunity to clinch the title in the fifth game.

However, inside the Knicks' locker room, no one seems willing to be carried away by euphoria. The message has been consistent throughout the playoffs and remains the same on the verge of glory: maintain focus on the present.

The best example is Jalen Brunson. The New York star admitted a few weeks ago that he had dreamed of taking the franchise to the Finals since signing as a free agent in the summer of 2022. Now, with the Larry O'Brien trophy within reach, the point guard continues to stress the importance of not looking beyond the next game.

"Our mindset and focus are one possession at a time, one play at a time, one quarter at a time," Brunson declared before Friday's practice.

The Knicks' leader explained that the team has learned to quickly turn the page both in victories and defeats.

"You're thinking about now, about how you can be better on the next possession. How can you move on after something positive or negative? Regardless of what happens, our mindset has to remain the same."

That discourse has accompanied New York throughout the season and has become one of the hallmarks of the group led by Mike Brown.

The coach admitted that managing emotions after a historic comeback is not an easy task. After all, the Knicks overcame a 29-point deficit in the fourth game to secure one of the most memorable victories in Finals history.

"It's difficult. We're all human," Brown pointed out. "When you string together wins, there's a tendency to relax a bit. We try to keep the players focused and constantly remind them of what lies ahead."

The coach believes that the maturity of the locker room has been crucial throughout the postseason. It's no coincidence that the Knicks boast a perfect 3-0 record in games with the opportunity to eliminate the opponent.

Brown emphasized that the team must expect the best version of a Spurs side that will play with the urgency to avoid the end of their season.

"San Antonio is a great team. They're desperate, and I think they still believe in their chances. It's going to be very difficult for us."

Within the group, there is also a sense that the spectacular comeback in the fourth game cannot hide some issues that the team needs to address.

Karl-Anthony Towns noted that New York cannot afford to find themselves in a similar situation again.

"Yes, we won, but we still have a lot of work to do. We didn't play our best basketball, and we have many things to review to avoid finding ourselves in that position again."

The All-Star center highlighted that closing out a series demands the highest level of concentration.

"The hardest game to win is the one that ends your opponent's season. We have to bring our best."

The same idea was echoed by Miles McBride, who cautioned against overconfidence after such an emotional victory.

Win, win, and win to take home the ring

"We can't have a hangover after winning a game like that. It was special, but we don't want to repeat it. We want to go out and do our job."

Meanwhile, the Spurs will try to force a sixth game supported by Victor Wembanyama and the backing of their fans. But the Knicks seem determined not to stray from a formula that has brought them to the brink of the championship.

For Brunson, the message remains as simple as it is effective. No matter what happened in the past or how close the title is, it all starts over again from scratch.

And now, only one win stands between them and turning that dream into reality.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Jalen Brunson, a un paso del anillo: "Nuestro enfoque es una posesión cada vez"