Jalen Brunson, Knicks keep focus ahead of NBA Finals Game 3 - ESPN

NEW YORK — If the day before Madison Square Garden's first NBA Finals game since June 25, 1999, was any indication, Monday's Game 3 between the Spurs and Knicks will be a circus.

On Sunday, rappers and Knicks fans Jadakiss and Fat Joe sat in the back of Mike Brown's news conference, with the latter — a sneaker aficionado — teasing the Knicks coach about his footwear choices during games.

Actor Ben Stiller was there, too, recording Brown on his phone, just as he has documented many critical moments in the past two playoff rounds from his courtside seat. Brown, meanwhile, was thrilled to announce to everyone that he had met Stiller.

Ticket prices are sky high, to the point forward Josh Hart lamented Knicks fans being unable to get in the door like they had for years as the team struggled to get back into contention.

«I feel like a lot of people who have been waiting for this moment for a very long time unfortunately aren't able to get into the building, when the cheapest ticket is seven or eight thousand dollars,» Hart said. «So that's ridiculous. But it's just going to be rocking. But obviously I wish those were a little cheaper.»

It would be easy to get wrapped up in all the hoopla, but Jalen Brunson was having none of it. The leader of the Knicks showed up to the Garden with a steely approach, knowing a 2-0 series lead doesn't mean his team has the NBA title locked up.

«I think playing better with the lead that we had, the 14-point lead,» Brunson said. «The way they fought back and took the lead is just a credit to how good they are.»

The Knicks held on in a 105-104 Game 2 thriller Friday, becoming the third team in league history to win the first two NBA Finals games on the road. The others — the 1993 Chicago Bulls and