We’ve reached a point where you can say the Cavs and the Pistons are doing this on purpose to prevent Knicks fans from enjoying New York basketball.

But hey, seven games on their legs? Can’t complain!

We’re the latest four days and a few hours from the ECF Game 1 tip-off. Finally.

On OG Anunoby returning as a full participant in practice:

“He practiced today in full. Everything we did today, he did. Anytime anybody is able to do anything like that, it’s always encouraging.”

On leaving the final decision about Anunoby’s availability to the medical staff:

“At the end of the day, I’m a wait and let the medical group tell me each day what he can do. We’ll see if they tell me something different tomorrow. But it’s definitely encouraging to see somebody be able to go out there and practice a full practice like OG did.”

On maintaining consistency after a long layoff:

“If we expect to be who we think we’re capable of being, we’ll find a way to stay consistent with what we’re doing. Whether it’s the energy level, the effort level, or embracing/focusing on the details that we have to be able to understand in order to go out and get a win.”

On ignoring outside noise and focusing on a championship goal:

“I don’t look at it like that. I literally do this to try to compete to try to win a championship. That’s what my focus is throughout the course of the year. Throughout the course of the year, there’s going to be noise out there. When [ex-San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich] was at his height, people talked about him. When [Golden State Warriors head coach] Steve Kerr was at his height, people talked about him. People can talk about Mike Brown for sure, but it’s my job to ignore the noise. It’s easy to do that because the pressure that I put on myself and the team puts on itself to be great or try to be the best team in the league, doesn’t even match up to what everyone else says.”

On weighing player suggestions before making adjustments:

“You can’t act upon everything. Because if you act upon everything, you’re going to be driving yourself crazy and everybody else crazy. It was just something where we were struggling to score [at the time] and I had been thinking about it for awhile and it finally came to me at that point. … I take suggestions from everybody. At the end of the day, it’s up to me to make the decision of yea or nay. The tough part about it is, sometimes when you have suggestions, and there are a lot of good ones out there, a suggestion is one thing, but trying to actually put the suggestion into something that can be real for the group and fit the group, not just that one person, that’s the tricky part. I’ve always been a guy that if you come to me with a suggestion, a lot of times, especially as a coach, you gotta have something to back it up. Some video, some analytics. Tell me how.”

On tailoring his system to the personnel he has:

“We kind of figured it out along the way. [KAT and Sabonis] do a lot of stuff that are similar. You have an idea [coming into a new job with a new team] of what you want to do offensively [and] defensively, but then it’s your job as a coach to try to figure out, ‘Does this really fit the group that you have in front of you?’”

On the challenges of implementing changes in Year 1:

“That’s why it’s always tough to do things in Year 1, because it takes some time to get used to the group, not just what their strengths are as skill players, but their personalities and other things that make them tick. Trying to put a guy like Sabonis at his strength, trying to put a guy like KAT at his strength is something that, as a head coach, it’s my job to think constantly about, as long as it enhances everybody else.”

On embracing collaboration while retaining final authority:

“I take suggestions from everybody. And at the end of the day it’s up for me to make the decision of yay or nay. I’ve always been a guy who if you come to me with suggestions especially as a coach. You have to have something to back it up. Some video or analytics. At the end of the day, I have to say this makes sense let’s do it, but this is how we’re going to do it.”

On watching potential Eastern Conference Finals opponents with his fiancée:

“My fiancee [Jordyn Woods], she loves watching basketball a lot. It’s always something, even when I’m not thinking about it, maybe I’m thinking of talking to my family, my niece, my nephew, [Jordyn] has the game on. She’s constantly updating me on what’s happening. She knows ball now, after all these years together. She’s talking about flex screens, UCLA cuts and stuff like that.”

On staying connected with his former Minnesota teammates:

“I definitely am tuned in. I watch the games, especially on the days that we’re not playing, and the Wolves are playing. I’m always tapped in, I’m watching, I’m texting Ant [Edwards], I’m texting Rudy [Gobert], I’m texting those guys and just watching them play.”

On approaching the coaching staff about changing his role:

“You’re down 2-1, obviously it’s not the end of the world but you guys understand the importance of the next game. … You go in there and say how you feel, your feelings, your idea and see if it’s received. And it was received.”

On embracing a facilitator role:

“I’ve always loved this role. I’ve always wanted this role, so [I’m] happy we got to this point.”

On whether he feels vindicated by the adjustment:

“I’ve always said since the beginning, I’ll do whatever it takes to impact winning. I’m glad I’ve been able to do that with this changing role and be able to help our team win. That’s the most important thing. And utilize my talent.”

On entering Year 1 under Mike Brown without expectations:

“I really didn’t have any expectations. I didn’t know what to expect.”

On crediting Brown for the team’s current position:

“He’s done a great job of adjusting our team to give us the best chance to win. The spot we’re in now is because of his courage and trust to change what we were doing and putting us in a better position.”

On Mitchell Robinson’s impact:

“[Robinson’s] one of the most impactful players on our team. I think all of y’all know how important he is to us.”

On how the offense naturally evolved through Towns late in possessions:

“Using KAT sometimes at the end of the [shot] clock, we started using him more [in that role]. And then we kind of naturally started getting into it. Obviously, our coaches are taking notice. It’s kind of what we’ve been doing all year, but I think the more it started happening when, at the end of the clock, guys were [playing] off of him and then we started using it, guys playing off the ball, and then we kind of just started making it a point of emphasis. I felt like it was something [Towns] was always capable of.”

On believing Towns could handle the expanded responsibility:

“I felt like it was always something he was capable of. You don’t get a lot of practice time. I always feel like it’s tough to figure it out — but again — that’s what the regular season is for.”

On Mitchell Robinson’s continued growth and value:

“It feels like every year Mitch just continues to get better. He’s so important to our team. And when it’s time for him to show up, he shows up. … It’s huge for us creating opportunities at the offensive end. And obviously being at the rim and helping us in so many ways is huge.”

On Mike Brown’s collaborative style:

“He’s always wanted to have open dialogue since day one. And obviously he’s still the coach and he’s going to make the decisions and everything. But I mean, we give our opinions, and whether they’re good or bad opinions, they’re talked about and they’re decided on later.”

On revisiting his postgame comments about Philadelphia:

“I was wrong in part of my post-game interview. I said Philly wasn’t a sports town. I thought it was, but it’s no longer is. It’s not a sports town. They’re diehard and they love the Eagles. What’s the definition of a sports town? You can’t be a sports town if another team fan base takes over your arena. You cannot be a sports town if that happens. Boston? Sports town. You won’t see anyone take over their arena. So yes. (Los Angeles) is more of a sports town than Philly. Because the Rams, they just got back. So I mean, it’s going to take a little bit of time to kind of, you know, cultivate that environment, but they’re almost there. But we’ve taken over Philly. We’re down the street from Boston. Have we ever taken over TD Garden? No. And you will never see Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum sitting there saying, fans, we need y’all to come out because if y’all don’t, the Knicks are going to [take over], they’re never going to say that because they don’t have to.”

On watching the Knicks’ current play:

“It’s just been amazing, like, ‘Who are these guys?’ ”

On the similarities to the 1970s championship teams:

“They remind me so much of Frazier-to-Bradley-to-Barnett-to-Reed-to-DeBusschere. The way the ball is moving around the court. The way they hit the open man.”

On how stagnant the offense once looked:

“I kept hoping. A lot of times they were stagnant, too much dribbling. And sometimes when Jalen was playing so well, it was like the other guys would stand transfixed, and they weren’t moving like they are now, all of them realizing how equally important they all are. And then KAT happened.”

On Towns’ creativity as a passer:

“Some of the passes are really just very impressive. You know, Globetrotter-like, extraordinary where he has the ball in one hand, behind his back, but that’s the other thing that’s fascinated me is the moving and grooving. How does that happen all of a sudden? Bridges is going back door? OG’s going back door. All these guys, it doesn’t matter, the second unit. They’re all moving the ball.”

On adapting alongside Earl Monroe during the 1973 title run:

“He had to play more defense here than he did in Baltimore. And I had to make sure he shot the ball enough because he didn’t want to come across like a ball hog. We figured it out.”

On his excitement about this Knicks team winning the title:

“Yeah, man, let’s go. Let’s go Knicks!”

On Jalen Brunson’s humility and leadership:

“The humble warrior. He just wants to play basketball; he definitely just wants to win. He definitely just wants to win. [Brunson] definitely is a guy that’s going to take over when he needs to. But he knows he needs his team. He knows everybody in that locker room, so he’s going to do whatever he’s got to do and say whatever he’s got to say for everybody to be together.”