San Antonio (AFP) – The New York Knicks are bracing for a hard-fought battle from San Antonio when the NBA Finals begin on Wednesday, while the Spurs seek revenge for a loss in the NBA Cup. Both clubs tried to keep the atmosphere as normal as possible during Tuesday media day interview sessions on the eve of a historic best-of-seven championship clash.
“Really well-coached team, really talented team. You can tell how together they are, which is very dope,” New York’s Mikal Bridges said of the Spurs. “They’re ready to go out there and fight. They’re going to battle. Not soft at all. They’re going to compete at a high level. I feel like we do the same. Just excited.”
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The Knicks, who have not won an NBA title since 1973, captured the NBA Cup in-season tournament by beating the Spurs 124-113 in Las Vegas last December. Each team won at home in their regular-season meetings. “The Knicks have played us really well this year. We went into their house and they beat us. They beat us in the in-season tournament,” said San Antonio’s Devin Vassell. “We feel like we’ve got to get some get-back because they’ve been successful against us. We didn’t get here to say we’re the Western Conference finals champions. We want to sit here and say we’re the NBA champions. It was great while it lasted but we’re ready for the next chapter.”
Spurs star big man Victor Wembanyama said the Spurs were not yet over their West finals win over Oklahoma City, but guard Stephon Castle has no worries about San Antonio’s readiness. “It was a feel-good win for us. It’s hard to flush that out of the back of your mind,” Castle said. “We understand we can’t get complacent or satisfied with that. We still have a job. Come game time, we’ll be ready.”
Knicks standout Josh Hart says New York has been preparing for this moment since the season began last October. “The attention to detail and approach is really the same because I think we truly believe we’ve been building championship habits since October,” Hart said. “You really double down on those habits. This is like a zoo going on right now with all the media and all this stuff. But we’re just focused on the task at hand and ready to get started.”
Vassell says the Spurs see it much the same way. “We’re just trying to block out all the noise,” Vassell said. “There’s nothing more for us to say or talk about. We’re just going to keep doing what we’re doing. That has been successful.”
– ‘Best feeling ever’ –
San Antonio’s Keldon Johnson won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award as the top reserve, a ego bruise being the toughest adjustment to not starting. “I would say ego. Just being the guy and then you having to adjust,” he said. “Winning has been an ultimate reward. It just shows that everything was worth it. I went from being ‘the guy’ to coming off the bench and being sixth man. Being able to win and contribute to us winning means more than anything I’ve done in the past.”
San Antonio’s Julian Champagnie, a Brooklyn native, looks forward to playing on the road at Madison Square Garden. “Means a lot to play in New York for the championship. I’m from there,” he said. “Being able to go back to the Garden and compete for a championship, it’s the best feeling ever.”
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