duncan228
03-19-2011, 11:03 PM
Post-Game Quotes (http://www.nba.com/spurs/gameday/110319.html)
Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich
(Opening statement) “I thought we had good focus after a big win last night. I thought that Tony (Parker) and Manu (Ginobili) started us off very serious. They did a very good job defensively in the first quarter and I think everyone followed suit. That was the most pleasing part, sustaining the intensity tonight.”
(On Tiago Splitter tonight) “I thought Tiago (Splitter) was great. He’s one of those blue-collar guys. He works every minute he’s on the court. He did a lot of good things. He rolled really well to the bucket and he attracted a lot of attention to his rolls and that opened up the perimeter.”
(On Steve Novak tonight) “It was great to have the bench come in, so Manu (Ginobili) wouldn’t have to play too many minutes. I wanted to play Tony (Parker) even less, but he’s the youngster of the group. To have Steve (Novak) come in and everyone off the bench, George (Hill), Gary (Neal), Steve all came in and did a great job. DeJuan (Blair) does his job every night and hopefully he’ll be alright with his wrist; we’ll check him out.”
Manu Ginobili
(On getting rest tonight) “It was very much needed. Yesterday was a tough game. We had to grind it out for 48 minutes. I was little sick, so I need a little time off.”
(On Tiago Splitter’s play tonight) “It’s hard to play when you don’t have continuity, when you don’t play as often because you feel a lot of pressure and you want to do everything good and you want to show everybody that you can play. So considering that, he did very well, but it’s not easy to start like he did in that situation because he hasn’t played for like five games. But he did good, he played great defense, and he finished at the rim. I completely trust him, he just needed to be out there to feel good about himself.”
(On if he anticipates him and Tim Duncan getting more rest towards the end of the season) “I think we might if we clinch the number one seed. We might sit one game or two but I don’t think that games like this are really going to happen. I think we got to stay in shape, we got to keep playing because when you realize playoffs are here, you don’t want to lose your conditioning. We might skip a game or two if we clinch number one but the rest of the games, we’re going to play.”
Tony Parker
(On Tiago Splitter) “He played very well. He played very physical, rolling to the basket and finding shooters and Steve Novak played very well. The ball movement was great.”
Steve Novak
(On the Spurs performance tonight) "I think we were a little concerned about it being a letdown after the big game last night so I think in talking about that, we came with a little more focus. I think Coach was able to give a few guys more rest and got other guys like myself more minutes so it's good to be out there with some of the starters to get the chemistry going a little bit."
(On his performance tonight) "I think I know my role on this team is to spread the floor for guys like Timmy (Duncan) and let Tony (Parker) get in the middle, break guys down, and kick it out. I think that's what the Spurs have done long before I was here. I think it has a lot to do with Tony getting guys, drawing guys, and putting the ball in my hands and other guys at the right time."
Bobcats Head Coach Paul Silas
(On the team’s performance and the comeback in the fourth quarter)
“I was so proud of them tonight because they didn’t give up; they fought. That team (San Antonio Spurs) was on fire, from their three’s and what not. Our guys talked on defense. They had energy. If we continue to play like this, I told them, we are going to do very well. We could make the playoffs if we play like this the rest of the way.”
(On Tyrus Thomas’s foul called in the fourth quarter possible turning point) “I think it was. I didn’t think it was a foul but they called it so I can not protest it. If that would not have been called at that particular time we could have gotten the ball back and could have gone down and scored. Now it is a single digit game. Never in my wildest dreams would I ever think we would be at that point where we would have a single digit game.”
(On Indiana game and Stephen Jackson’s return) “Stephen Jackson, I am not quite sure. I think he will be ready by that time. He tweaked it; he didn’t really pull his hamstring. I am hopeful he will be back. The main thing I am focusing on is the energy level we came with tonight. If we can play with that kind of energy and talk on defense and run out we could do well. We’ve got probably more fast break hoops then we have got in ages; that showed me we can do it and we have the potential to do that.”
(On the group of players that provided the spark tonight) “Tyrus was huge and then I put my subs in there, Shaun Livingston, Dominic McGuire, DJ White, all those guys stepped up. I put Gerald Henderson back in, and those five really picked it up and I thought they played great defense and were moving the basketball. Our problem has been scoring. We just could not score enough points, but we almost got 100 points tonight, which would have been the first time in a long time. I am proud of these guys.”
(Coach Oakley’s assistance off the court) “He hurt his back and I didn’t really realize it, but he is going to be okay. I didn’t know what was going on. I saw two guys helping him off, but I think he will be fine.
D.J. White
(On all the Spurs' weapons) "They were on fire tonight. It was tough to stop them. I think what they were doing, and they were doing a great job of it, was they were getting us to help them on the drive and then just kicking out to wide-open three-point shooters. When you got guys like Bonner, Steve Novak…we let him get going tonight…Ginobili, Hill and those guys, they're always going to knock those down. So it's tough to stop."
(On not making up a game on Indiana) "Every game that we've lost has been a missed opportunity to gain ground on them. I think they got beat tonight, and Milwaukee is right on our back. Wednesday night will say volumes if we can get that win. We'll be a half a game back and then we have Milwaukee again soon. This game on Wednesday could define our season if we don't get that win. That's what our mind is on right now. We can't do anything about the San Antonio loss. We just have to worry about the Pacers on Wednesday."
(On what they can take away from this game) "Toward the end of the game, when their second unit was out there, I think it was me, Tyrus, Shaun, G, and Dominic, and we just played with energy and talked to each other. I think if we would have done that at the defensive end the entire game we would have given ourselves a better chance to win the game."
(On being without Stephen Jackson) "It's tough missing 20 points out there and just having that veteran leader who's been there before. It's tough not having him, but at the same time we are professionals. That's part of the game and we just didn't deliver tonight."
Gerald Henderson
(On the missed opportunity to make up a game on Indiana) “You want to win every time you go out there. We see what they’re doing and we try to keep up with them, but you have to focus on what we’re doing. We’re not going to make a push up the standings if we don’t win. It don’t matter how much they lose, we have to continue to get better because they’re not going to lose every game. We played a tough team though. They were without Duncan, but they move the ball unbelievably and they’re just an overall really good team.”
(On the Spurs’ shooting tonight) “It all comes with how they share the ball. No one really holds it. They all seem like they make the right pass every time. They’re just so unselfish. If you can keep a defense off balance, you’re going to have open shots and if you have the weapons that they have you’re going to have a 17-made-attempts kind of night. That’s just the way it goes.”
(On being without Jackson) “He’s been out the last few weeks. That hamstring is bothering him, but other guys have to pick up the load. We have enough guys that can fill that void. We just got to play better overall; I don’t think it has to come from one person.”
Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich
(Opening statement) “I thought we had good focus after a big win last night. I thought that Tony (Parker) and Manu (Ginobili) started us off very serious. They did a very good job defensively in the first quarter and I think everyone followed suit. That was the most pleasing part, sustaining the intensity tonight.”
(On Tiago Splitter tonight) “I thought Tiago (Splitter) was great. He’s one of those blue-collar guys. He works every minute he’s on the court. He did a lot of good things. He rolled really well to the bucket and he attracted a lot of attention to his rolls and that opened up the perimeter.”
(On Steve Novak tonight) “It was great to have the bench come in, so Manu (Ginobili) wouldn’t have to play too many minutes. I wanted to play Tony (Parker) even less, but he’s the youngster of the group. To have Steve (Novak) come in and everyone off the bench, George (Hill), Gary (Neal), Steve all came in and did a great job. DeJuan (Blair) does his job every night and hopefully he’ll be alright with his wrist; we’ll check him out.”
Manu Ginobili
(On getting rest tonight) “It was very much needed. Yesterday was a tough game. We had to grind it out for 48 minutes. I was little sick, so I need a little time off.”
(On Tiago Splitter’s play tonight) “It’s hard to play when you don’t have continuity, when you don’t play as often because you feel a lot of pressure and you want to do everything good and you want to show everybody that you can play. So considering that, he did very well, but it’s not easy to start like he did in that situation because he hasn’t played for like five games. But he did good, he played great defense, and he finished at the rim. I completely trust him, he just needed to be out there to feel good about himself.”
(On if he anticipates him and Tim Duncan getting more rest towards the end of the season) “I think we might if we clinch the number one seed. We might sit one game or two but I don’t think that games like this are really going to happen. I think we got to stay in shape, we got to keep playing because when you realize playoffs are here, you don’t want to lose your conditioning. We might skip a game or two if we clinch number one but the rest of the games, we’re going to play.”
Tony Parker
(On Tiago Splitter) “He played very well. He played very physical, rolling to the basket and finding shooters and Steve Novak played very well. The ball movement was great.”
Steve Novak
(On the Spurs performance tonight) "I think we were a little concerned about it being a letdown after the big game last night so I think in talking about that, we came with a little more focus. I think Coach was able to give a few guys more rest and got other guys like myself more minutes so it's good to be out there with some of the starters to get the chemistry going a little bit."
(On his performance tonight) "I think I know my role on this team is to spread the floor for guys like Timmy (Duncan) and let Tony (Parker) get in the middle, break guys down, and kick it out. I think that's what the Spurs have done long before I was here. I think it has a lot to do with Tony getting guys, drawing guys, and putting the ball in my hands and other guys at the right time."
Bobcats Head Coach Paul Silas
(On the team’s performance and the comeback in the fourth quarter)
“I was so proud of them tonight because they didn’t give up; they fought. That team (San Antonio Spurs) was on fire, from their three’s and what not. Our guys talked on defense. They had energy. If we continue to play like this, I told them, we are going to do very well. We could make the playoffs if we play like this the rest of the way.”
(On Tyrus Thomas’s foul called in the fourth quarter possible turning point) “I think it was. I didn’t think it was a foul but they called it so I can not protest it. If that would not have been called at that particular time we could have gotten the ball back and could have gone down and scored. Now it is a single digit game. Never in my wildest dreams would I ever think we would be at that point where we would have a single digit game.”
(On Indiana game and Stephen Jackson’s return) “Stephen Jackson, I am not quite sure. I think he will be ready by that time. He tweaked it; he didn’t really pull his hamstring. I am hopeful he will be back. The main thing I am focusing on is the energy level we came with tonight. If we can play with that kind of energy and talk on defense and run out we could do well. We’ve got probably more fast break hoops then we have got in ages; that showed me we can do it and we have the potential to do that.”
(On the group of players that provided the spark tonight) “Tyrus was huge and then I put my subs in there, Shaun Livingston, Dominic McGuire, DJ White, all those guys stepped up. I put Gerald Henderson back in, and those five really picked it up and I thought they played great defense and were moving the basketball. Our problem has been scoring. We just could not score enough points, but we almost got 100 points tonight, which would have been the first time in a long time. I am proud of these guys.”
(Coach Oakley’s assistance off the court) “He hurt his back and I didn’t really realize it, but he is going to be okay. I didn’t know what was going on. I saw two guys helping him off, but I think he will be fine.
D.J. White
(On all the Spurs' weapons) "They were on fire tonight. It was tough to stop them. I think what they were doing, and they were doing a great job of it, was they were getting us to help them on the drive and then just kicking out to wide-open three-point shooters. When you got guys like Bonner, Steve Novak…we let him get going tonight…Ginobili, Hill and those guys, they're always going to knock those down. So it's tough to stop."
(On not making up a game on Indiana) "Every game that we've lost has been a missed opportunity to gain ground on them. I think they got beat tonight, and Milwaukee is right on our back. Wednesday night will say volumes if we can get that win. We'll be a half a game back and then we have Milwaukee again soon. This game on Wednesday could define our season if we don't get that win. That's what our mind is on right now. We can't do anything about the San Antonio loss. We just have to worry about the Pacers on Wednesday."
(On what they can take away from this game) "Toward the end of the game, when their second unit was out there, I think it was me, Tyrus, Shaun, G, and Dominic, and we just played with energy and talked to each other. I think if we would have done that at the defensive end the entire game we would have given ourselves a better chance to win the game."
(On being without Stephen Jackson) "It's tough missing 20 points out there and just having that veteran leader who's been there before. It's tough not having him, but at the same time we are professionals. That's part of the game and we just didn't deliver tonight."
Gerald Henderson
(On the missed opportunity to make up a game on Indiana) “You want to win every time you go out there. We see what they’re doing and we try to keep up with them, but you have to focus on what we’re doing. We’re not going to make a push up the standings if we don’t win. It don’t matter how much they lose, we have to continue to get better because they’re not going to lose every game. We played a tough team though. They were without Duncan, but they move the ball unbelievably and they’re just an overall really good team.”
(On the Spurs’ shooting tonight) “It all comes with how they share the ball. No one really holds it. They all seem like they make the right pass every time. They’re just so unselfish. If you can keep a defense off balance, you’re going to have open shots and if you have the weapons that they have you’re going to have a 17-made-attempts kind of night. That’s just the way it goes.”
(On being without Jackson) “He’s been out the last few weeks. That hamstring is bothering him, but other guys have to pick up the load. We have enough guys that can fill that void. We just got to play better overall; I don’t think it has to come from one person.”