"I have to make sure I help him have the energy required to finish the game as strong as he needs to finish the game," Johnson said.
Johnson stood firmly behind his roster's internal accountability. "There's no avoiding what's happened," he said.
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He dismissed outside media criticism and trade rumors, affirming full trust in his starting point guard for the final possessions of Game 5.
"De'Aaron Fox will have the basketball in his hands at the end of the game tomorrow, and I have the utmost confidence he's going to deliver like he's done countless times for us," Johnson said.
Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox, who faced scrutiny for a late-game layup attempt blocked by OG Anunoby, maintained that the competitive nature of the series proves San Antonio remains viable.
"These games have showed us we have a chance. It's not like we're going out there and getting steamrolled.
We still have that belief we have a chance to win," Fox said.
Spurs guard Stephon Castle reiterated that maintaining defensive aggression and composure during large leads remains the definitive adjustment.
"Just trying to stay poised throughout that and try to keep our foot on the gas, really.
I feel like once we get those leads, we start to play a little bit different, take our foot off the gas defensively.
I just feel like we have to stay aggressive, but be smart through it," Castle said.
Spurs guard Devin Vassell minimized the pressure of the elimination scenario. "One game at a time.
Just one game at a time," he said.
Knicks Focus on Execution
Knicks head coach Mike Brown stated that his roster must ignore the potential of a championship coronation and remain entirely focused on immediate execution.
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"The biggest thing is everybody has to stay present," Brown said.
