duncan228
11-18-2010, 03:13 AM
Post-Game Quotes (http://www.nba.com/spurs/gameday/101117.html)
Gregg Popovich
(On his overall assessment of the game) “My overall assessment? We played well enough to win.”
(On what he told the team at halftime to spur the third quarter run) “Nothing special. They’re an experienced group and the new guys understand what we’re trying to do. They realize what happened in the first half and they understand that it’s a 48 minute ball game. That’s what they should be proud of right now. It’s a heck of a win because they showed a lot of perseverance and just continued to play hard and shots started to drop. We didn’t make free throws, layups or three’s in the first half and played decent defense. They scored 47 and that’s fine. That’s not bad. In the second half, the defense picked up even more and the shots started to fall. I thought they showed a lot of grit and determination in the second half.”
(On calling a timeout late in the first half and leaving the team to figure things out) “I think sometimes it’s good to let the team figure things out by themselves. They don’t always need a coach to do that. They are professionals and they know what it takes.”
(On Derrick Rose scoring but the Spurs limiting the rest of the Chicago team)“We were decent at it I guess. He’s a great player. He’s a handful for any individual and for a team and he showed why he’s such a great player. I think overall our team play in the second half got it done for us.”
(On George Hill and his confidence) “He’s done that before. He has periods where he’s more aggressive than other times, but he’s trying to learn to be aggressive all the time. And understand that he’s a heck of a player and he should always be ready to exhibit. I think sometimes he defers to other people on the court, but he’ll figure that out as time goes by.”
Tim Duncan
(On the difference with the defense in the third quarter) “I really don’t know, just a great focus coming out. At the start of the year, it was one of those things we talked about a little bit with our third quarters being better for us because in the past they weren’t. So, we just had a good focus coming out, it’s been a good quarter so far, and hopefully we can continue that.”
(On Coach Popovich switching the lineup with Matt Bonner starting the second half) “It was just a different look. None of us could get a shot to go down. Obviously [Matt Bonner] with the tear that he’s on right now and stretching the floor with what he does, it opens all the lanes up for everybody else and of course they leave him open. He’s shooting the ball so well right now, so it was just a strategic change. I think we’re going to go right back to the way we were before and [DeJuan Blair] has been great for us so I think we’re going to stick with it.”
(On keeping Derrick Rose from involving the rest of his teammates) “We went over the top of screens with him and we tried to get him off that three-point line. He shot the ball really well last night. We tried to get him inside the range and contest every shot he got. I was little bit too far back in the lane in the first half and he got some of that mid-range stuff going, so we tried to tighten up a little in the second half. It’s better if he gets some of those shots in the middle contested as opposed to giving up layups.”
Tony Parker
(On if he likes going up against elite point guards) “Yeah, definitely. It’s a great challenge for me and Derrick Rose is one of the best.”
(On the baseline runner he hit late in the game) “I just tried to break them down and they played pretty good defense. There was not a lot of time left on the clock, so I figured I would just pull up and shoot.”
(On if he tries to be just as aggressive against a player like Derrick Rose) “Yeah, definitely. I try to be aggressive and I try to get my teammates involved. He played a good two tonight and his outside shots were going, so we tried to slow him down.”
(On making shots in the second half) “It started with Manu’s three, that was big. Manu started with a quick seven points in the third quarter and that gave us confidence.”
(On how important the quick start is) “We talked about it all preseason. We talked about it in preseason and training camp that we wanted to have a good start and not do the same mistakes as last year, so that’s what we’re doing. We’re playing well and we’re winning a lot of games.”
(On the Utah Jazz coming up) “Last year, we lost four times to them. It was tough because usually we play well against them. We’ll be ready though. They’re playing well, we’re playing well, so it will be a good test for us.”
Manu Ginobili
(On how big the three-pointer to open the second half was) “It ended up being important, but the whole third quarter was almost perfect for us. It’s not easy to score 37, it’s not easy to hold a team like them to 12, but both happened in one quarter. Of course it was huge and we really needed it because the first half was bad. We couldn’t score, we didn’t move the ball well, we were not patient, so it was good to see the ball go in.”
(On if Coach Popovich said something in the locker room at halftime that turned things around) “There’s nothing you can say that can turn things like that, that quick. But we were disappointed in the way we played. We knew that even with playing that bad offensively and missing that many layups, we were only down 10, so we knew we had a shot.”
(On why the team has been so successful in the third quarter in the past few games) “I didn’t know really. I know today we were. It’s not a secret, there’s nothing I can say about it. I know a few years ago, we were awful in the third quarters and we were getting killed so sometimes things change. We’ll see if it becomes a trend or not.”
(On how they played against the Utah Jazz last year) “We lost all four, but also we played them very early. We were not the team we ended up being in February, March, and April. But anyways, they swept us. They are a great team, they always execute great, they have great players that play hard, and they never give up, so there’s nothing new about them. They’re the Jazz so we have to go there and play great to come back with a win.”
Bulls Head Coach Tom Thibodeau
(Opening statement) “They got us back on our heals to start the third. In the fourth quarter, we fought back. We were in position, but they are the type of team that you can’t make mistakes. In the second half we made a lot of mistakes.”
(On the Spurs going small in the second half with Matt Bonner) “(Matt) Bonner has been playing really well. We were concerned with that going into the game. He spreads you out and the Spurs penetration got to us also. They (Spurs) had 37 points in the first half, then 37 points in the third quarter. We have to adjust better. We have to keep the ball in front and we have to challenge shots; the rebounding was problematic.”
(On if momentum started to swing at the end of the first half) “Our bench was playing great. Then we wanted to get the starters back in before the half. We ended up flat to close the second quarter and that’s how we started the third. That team (Spurs) over there you give them easy scoring opportunities their confidence goes up and then they’re hard to guard.”
(On Manu Ginobili tonight) “He’s a tough player and a tough match-up. He can hurt you in many different ways. He’s constantly moving without the ball, he’s very good at the pick-and-rolls. On the catch and shoot we were so far off of him.”
(On if Taj Gibson was limited due to injury) “A big part of it was what they (the Spurs) did and them playing small. Taj (Gibson) hasn’t shot the ball well in the past two games, but he’s played well. I don’t want him to measure him self off of misses and makes. He can help us a lot of other ways like with his defense and his rebounding. There will be nights where he doesn’t shoot well, but he still has to be effective.”
Derrick Rose
(On what they can do to avoid battling from behind) “In the third quarter we came out and couldn’t hit any shots. They’re shots that we normally hit, and with a team like [the Spurs] you can’t do that.”
(On the offense getting stagnant) “Too many jump shots. We were passing back on shots that we normally take and hit. We were passing back and missing the open shots because our legs [were tired]. I’ll take that any day. If you have the open shot, take it. Just in that third quarter they just weren’t falling.”
(On the back-to-back catching up to them) “I really I don’t know. I don’t know if it was fatigue. The good thing about the NBA is you play again in a few days. We still feel good about ourselves. We had them, we let it go, and we got to learn from it.”
(On getting more offense down low) “We have to post. [Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson] are good post players. They have some size and some muscle and can get fouls to get to the line. We just have to learn from tonight to get the ball into the post so we can get something going.”
(On how big a third quarter the Spurs had) “With a team like [the Spurs] you can’t miss shots and not play defense. They are too good. They’re going to score. They’re just a good team. Hopefully we learn from this and go out there and win the game against Dallas.”
(On guarding Manu towards the end of the game) “He’s hard. On the pick-and-rolls the bigs can’t show out on the pick because he’s gonna flop…go into their body and he’s going to get the call. We have to look at that. He’s a really tough player. He can shoot the ball, make tough lay-ups and shoot free throws. That’s why he’s one of the best in the league.”
Luol Deng
(On the Spurs’ big third quarter) “We came out flat. We missed a lot of shots; shots we normally make. We didn’t do what we were doing in the second quarter. That’s a good team. Once they got ahead they did a good job of keeping the lead. That’s something we have to learn when we get the lead like that.”
(On Manu and Richard after the half) “They played well. They spread the floor. Coach said that we have to recognize that. Those guys can make shots. With Bonner in there it kind of stretched us out a little bit.”
(On relaxing after getting a big lead early) “It’s a good position to be in. We went into half well, but we felt like being up 10 we could have come out better in the third. The way we came out in the third quarter was just terrible.”
(On coming back even though they still lost the game) “I’m not making any excuses. We were playing a really good team. These guys have been playing together for awhile. They’ve got a really good team. For us I know there’s a few things we have to learn, but it’s a good sign for us to play these teams like that. Obviously we want to win, but those teams are where we want to get to, so competing against them is a good thing.”
(On what those teams do that the Bulls don’t) “They came out in the third quarter, took the lead and never looked back. Coach keeps talking about 48 minutes. I think to get to get to the next level that’s something we really have to focus on. The whole team…the guys coming off the bench and the starters holding that lead. Anytime you put a team down like that you have to end it and not let them back into it. They got some momentum and it was in their favor the whole second half.”
Gregg Popovich
(On his overall assessment of the game) “My overall assessment? We played well enough to win.”
(On what he told the team at halftime to spur the third quarter run) “Nothing special. They’re an experienced group and the new guys understand what we’re trying to do. They realize what happened in the first half and they understand that it’s a 48 minute ball game. That’s what they should be proud of right now. It’s a heck of a win because they showed a lot of perseverance and just continued to play hard and shots started to drop. We didn’t make free throws, layups or three’s in the first half and played decent defense. They scored 47 and that’s fine. That’s not bad. In the second half, the defense picked up even more and the shots started to fall. I thought they showed a lot of grit and determination in the second half.”
(On calling a timeout late in the first half and leaving the team to figure things out) “I think sometimes it’s good to let the team figure things out by themselves. They don’t always need a coach to do that. They are professionals and they know what it takes.”
(On Derrick Rose scoring but the Spurs limiting the rest of the Chicago team)“We were decent at it I guess. He’s a great player. He’s a handful for any individual and for a team and he showed why he’s such a great player. I think overall our team play in the second half got it done for us.”
(On George Hill and his confidence) “He’s done that before. He has periods where he’s more aggressive than other times, but he’s trying to learn to be aggressive all the time. And understand that he’s a heck of a player and he should always be ready to exhibit. I think sometimes he defers to other people on the court, but he’ll figure that out as time goes by.”
Tim Duncan
(On the difference with the defense in the third quarter) “I really don’t know, just a great focus coming out. At the start of the year, it was one of those things we talked about a little bit with our third quarters being better for us because in the past they weren’t. So, we just had a good focus coming out, it’s been a good quarter so far, and hopefully we can continue that.”
(On Coach Popovich switching the lineup with Matt Bonner starting the second half) “It was just a different look. None of us could get a shot to go down. Obviously [Matt Bonner] with the tear that he’s on right now and stretching the floor with what he does, it opens all the lanes up for everybody else and of course they leave him open. He’s shooting the ball so well right now, so it was just a strategic change. I think we’re going to go right back to the way we were before and [DeJuan Blair] has been great for us so I think we’re going to stick with it.”
(On keeping Derrick Rose from involving the rest of his teammates) “We went over the top of screens with him and we tried to get him off that three-point line. He shot the ball really well last night. We tried to get him inside the range and contest every shot he got. I was little bit too far back in the lane in the first half and he got some of that mid-range stuff going, so we tried to tighten up a little in the second half. It’s better if he gets some of those shots in the middle contested as opposed to giving up layups.”
Tony Parker
(On if he likes going up against elite point guards) “Yeah, definitely. It’s a great challenge for me and Derrick Rose is one of the best.”
(On the baseline runner he hit late in the game) “I just tried to break them down and they played pretty good defense. There was not a lot of time left on the clock, so I figured I would just pull up and shoot.”
(On if he tries to be just as aggressive against a player like Derrick Rose) “Yeah, definitely. I try to be aggressive and I try to get my teammates involved. He played a good two tonight and his outside shots were going, so we tried to slow him down.”
(On making shots in the second half) “It started with Manu’s three, that was big. Manu started with a quick seven points in the third quarter and that gave us confidence.”
(On how important the quick start is) “We talked about it all preseason. We talked about it in preseason and training camp that we wanted to have a good start and not do the same mistakes as last year, so that’s what we’re doing. We’re playing well and we’re winning a lot of games.”
(On the Utah Jazz coming up) “Last year, we lost four times to them. It was tough because usually we play well against them. We’ll be ready though. They’re playing well, we’re playing well, so it will be a good test for us.”
Manu Ginobili
(On how big the three-pointer to open the second half was) “It ended up being important, but the whole third quarter was almost perfect for us. It’s not easy to score 37, it’s not easy to hold a team like them to 12, but both happened in one quarter. Of course it was huge and we really needed it because the first half was bad. We couldn’t score, we didn’t move the ball well, we were not patient, so it was good to see the ball go in.”
(On if Coach Popovich said something in the locker room at halftime that turned things around) “There’s nothing you can say that can turn things like that, that quick. But we were disappointed in the way we played. We knew that even with playing that bad offensively and missing that many layups, we were only down 10, so we knew we had a shot.”
(On why the team has been so successful in the third quarter in the past few games) “I didn’t know really. I know today we were. It’s not a secret, there’s nothing I can say about it. I know a few years ago, we were awful in the third quarters and we were getting killed so sometimes things change. We’ll see if it becomes a trend or not.”
(On how they played against the Utah Jazz last year) “We lost all four, but also we played them very early. We were not the team we ended up being in February, March, and April. But anyways, they swept us. They are a great team, they always execute great, they have great players that play hard, and they never give up, so there’s nothing new about them. They’re the Jazz so we have to go there and play great to come back with a win.”
Bulls Head Coach Tom Thibodeau
(Opening statement) “They got us back on our heals to start the third. In the fourth quarter, we fought back. We were in position, but they are the type of team that you can’t make mistakes. In the second half we made a lot of mistakes.”
(On the Spurs going small in the second half with Matt Bonner) “(Matt) Bonner has been playing really well. We were concerned with that going into the game. He spreads you out and the Spurs penetration got to us also. They (Spurs) had 37 points in the first half, then 37 points in the third quarter. We have to adjust better. We have to keep the ball in front and we have to challenge shots; the rebounding was problematic.”
(On if momentum started to swing at the end of the first half) “Our bench was playing great. Then we wanted to get the starters back in before the half. We ended up flat to close the second quarter and that’s how we started the third. That team (Spurs) over there you give them easy scoring opportunities their confidence goes up and then they’re hard to guard.”
(On Manu Ginobili tonight) “He’s a tough player and a tough match-up. He can hurt you in many different ways. He’s constantly moving without the ball, he’s very good at the pick-and-rolls. On the catch and shoot we were so far off of him.”
(On if Taj Gibson was limited due to injury) “A big part of it was what they (the Spurs) did and them playing small. Taj (Gibson) hasn’t shot the ball well in the past two games, but he’s played well. I don’t want him to measure him self off of misses and makes. He can help us a lot of other ways like with his defense and his rebounding. There will be nights where he doesn’t shoot well, but he still has to be effective.”
Derrick Rose
(On what they can do to avoid battling from behind) “In the third quarter we came out and couldn’t hit any shots. They’re shots that we normally hit, and with a team like [the Spurs] you can’t do that.”
(On the offense getting stagnant) “Too many jump shots. We were passing back on shots that we normally take and hit. We were passing back and missing the open shots because our legs [were tired]. I’ll take that any day. If you have the open shot, take it. Just in that third quarter they just weren’t falling.”
(On the back-to-back catching up to them) “I really I don’t know. I don’t know if it was fatigue. The good thing about the NBA is you play again in a few days. We still feel good about ourselves. We had them, we let it go, and we got to learn from it.”
(On getting more offense down low) “We have to post. [Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson] are good post players. They have some size and some muscle and can get fouls to get to the line. We just have to learn from tonight to get the ball into the post so we can get something going.”
(On how big a third quarter the Spurs had) “With a team like [the Spurs] you can’t miss shots and not play defense. They are too good. They’re going to score. They’re just a good team. Hopefully we learn from this and go out there and win the game against Dallas.”
(On guarding Manu towards the end of the game) “He’s hard. On the pick-and-rolls the bigs can’t show out on the pick because he’s gonna flop…go into their body and he’s going to get the call. We have to look at that. He’s a really tough player. He can shoot the ball, make tough lay-ups and shoot free throws. That’s why he’s one of the best in the league.”
Luol Deng
(On the Spurs’ big third quarter) “We came out flat. We missed a lot of shots; shots we normally make. We didn’t do what we were doing in the second quarter. That’s a good team. Once they got ahead they did a good job of keeping the lead. That’s something we have to learn when we get the lead like that.”
(On Manu and Richard after the half) “They played well. They spread the floor. Coach said that we have to recognize that. Those guys can make shots. With Bonner in there it kind of stretched us out a little bit.”
(On relaxing after getting a big lead early) “It’s a good position to be in. We went into half well, but we felt like being up 10 we could have come out better in the third. The way we came out in the third quarter was just terrible.”
(On coming back even though they still lost the game) “I’m not making any excuses. We were playing a really good team. These guys have been playing together for awhile. They’ve got a really good team. For us I know there’s a few things we have to learn, but it’s a good sign for us to play these teams like that. Obviously we want to win, but those teams are where we want to get to, so competing against them is a good thing.”
(On what those teams do that the Bulls don’t) “They came out in the third quarter, took the lead and never looked back. Coach keeps talking about 48 minutes. I think to get to get to the next level that’s something we really have to focus on. The whole team…the guys coming off the bench and the starters holding that lead. Anytime you put a team down like that you have to end it and not let them back into it. They got some momentum and it was in their favor the whole second half.”