INDIANAPOLIS -- The responses were in hushed tones, the kind often reserved for humbling, season-ending losses like the one the New York Knicks suffered on Saturday in a 125-108 beatdown by the Indiana Pacers that dashed the club's hopes of making the NBA Finals.
But as downtrodden as the Knicks were with the result -- a 4-2 series loss to the Finals-bound Pacers -- their stars expressed optimism for their future.
Asked how confident he was that this core, in its first year together, could take the next step toward a title, captain and All-NBA guard Jalen Brunson didn't hesitate.