I’ve been talking a lot about the Knicks, and I’m going to talk about the Knicks again! I’m reminded of my long series about Dolly Parton.

Last week, I talked about the astonishing Game 4, where the Knicks came back after being behind 29 points and won the game by a single point. It was a thrilling triumph.

This win meant that they led three to one, and if they won the next game, they won the Championship. They were so close!

After that historic game, team captain and MVP Jalen Brunson talked to reporters at a press conference.

He sat behind a desk, holding, fielding questions. You might think he’d be jubilant, energetic, radiating confidence. But he wasn’t. He was serious, even somber.

One reporter asked, “Does it feel like you guys are one step away from a championship, or even, you know, different than other games in the finals?”

With an expressionless face, Brunson answered simply, “Zero-zero,” and looked for the next question.

I had to think about that. What did he mean by “zero-zero?”

I think he meant: We have put the past behind us, and we walk into that game focusing solely on the immediate task ahead of us—winning this game. We’re not ahead, we’re not behind.

After such a historic win, and such a spectacular play, it would be easy to get distracted or get complacent. The simplicity of the phrase “zero-zero” says it all. Take nothing for granted. Don’t dwell on past mistakes or gloat over past successes. Zero-zero.

If you want to see this exchange yourself, I’ll post the link here. It takes place at about minute 1:47.