'They Don't Stop Playing!' New York Knicks' Jalen Brunson Praises San Antonio Spurs' Persistence

The San Antonio Spurs came up short against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, but still received praise from Jalen Brunson ahead of facing the Minnesota Timberwolves at home Friday.

The San Antonio Spurs haven't exactly found their groove just yet, but that doesn't mean there aren't a wide range of positives they've displayed so far.

Coach Gregg Popovich's squad is young, yes. But for bottoming out the NBA age-wise, they've surpassed expectations as a team, and individually. 

Jeremy Sochan is showing poise on the defensive end while taking on an entirely new role in the offense. Keldon Johnson is continuing to be an on-court leader, while Zach Collins is truly finding his role as a center alongside Victor Wembanyama. 

The 7-4 rookie is a positive in his own right, as he's led the Spurs in scoring, rebounding and blocks. But even with him and the rest of San Antonio's roster showing promise, it hasn't got it all figured out.

That hasn't stopped opponents from praising the young squad, however. 

Nov 8, 2023; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) brings the ball up court against San Antonio Spurs guard Tre Jones (33) during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden / © Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

"We [the Knicks] started the game off really well, got to a big lead, and throughout most of the game we kind of held that lead," Brunson said following the Spurs' blowout loss. "In the fourth quarter, [the Spurs] made a little jump at us. That team doesn’t stop playing. 

"There’s always something going on with them. They kept us on our heels." 

Brunson and the Knicks were the latest to experience playing against Wembanyama and the Spurs, and safe to say, they survived. More than that, actually. New York converted from behind the arc and stifled the rookie's offensive impact. 

San Antonio's defensive struggles aren't an A-1 worry for Wembanyama, however.

"I think all of us on the court have good intentions," the rookie said. "We learn a lot from the coaching staff defensively, so we're just trying to apply what they say." 

"We're bringing energy all the time, so this is a good start," he added. "We have great potential defensively. I know in the past games, especially in Phoenix, we've seen great defensive sequences. We're just all getting it together."

San Antonio's next chance to get it together will be Friday evening against a red-hot Minnesota Timberwolves squad. There, it will face Anthony Edwards and company, looking to come away victorious in its first in-season tournament game of the year. 

Tipoff from Frost Bank Center is set for 7 p.m. CT.