Trail Blazers Head Coach Terry Stotts(On the game)“It was a very competitive game. You look at the box score and six points is the biggest lead that either team had. In the end they made more plays at the end of the game than we did. It’s a disappointing loss, but Atlanta’s a very good team. They play good basketball. The way they played tonight is kind of an example of how they’ve been winning.” “In the first half we had 13 turnovers, and in the second half we only had four. The game could have gone either way. (The Hawks) broke it open with a couple of three’s. It was a tie game that could have gone either way.” (On Damian Lillard’s performance considering he was not chosen for the All-Star team)“The last 24 hours have nothing to do with anything. He played a good second half. The turnovers he had in the first half he didn’t have in the second half. He missed some shots he normally makes, but I don’t think the last 24 hours had anything to do with (his performance).” (On the free throw differential)“I thought the free throw differential was huge. At one point it was 20-3 (in favor of Atlanta). Sometimes that happens.” (On LaMarcus Aldridge’s play)“LaMarcus has been on a great roll since he came back. He’s doing a little bit of everything. He’s scoring and he’s getting into the paint, and getting to the free throw line. He’s (also) getting rebounds and defending. He’s been playing at an extremely high level since he’s been back.” (On whether team’s confidence is wavering after losing seven of nine games)“We have to find ways to win in the fourth quarter. Most NBA players are a very confident group. I don’t think our confidence has wavered, but that being said, six of those seven losses have come down to the last minute or two. We have to get back to making plays to win those games.” Wesley Matthews(On the team’s confidence at this point in the season)“We’re always confident. We just didn’t make enough plays. We had a chance. Credit (the Hawks). They’re a good team. We just haven’t been making plays in some of these losses we’ve been having. But credit their team.” (On his missed three-pointer late in the game)“It felt good when it left my hand. It was just one of those in-and-outs. If we had (that) it could have changed the complexion of the game.” Damian Lillard(On his performance considering he was not chosen for the All-Star team)“I would have liked to have shot the ball better. That could have given us a better chance to win the game. I thought we played hard and defended hard the entire game. I thought I played a pretty good game. I just didn’t shoot well.” “I wanted to come out and play the same game I always have. I wasn’t trying to go out of my way to prove a point. I just wanted to do what I always do for the team, and that’s to do whatever is takes to give us a chance to win. I came out and did that. It just happens that I just didn’t make enough shots.” “I played the same way that I’ve always played. I actually knew that I wasn’t going to come out here and do anything outside of the box from what I would usually do. I thought I played the same way that I always play.” (On Hawks’ ability to capitalize on Blazers mistakes tonight)“That’s not just tonight. They’ve won 18 games in a row for that reason. They take advantage of teams’ mistakes. They are constantly in the passing lane, and they keep their hands active, creating more possessions for themselves and taking other possessions away from the other team. They execute offensively and they play together. There’s a reason why they’ve won 18 games in a row.”
Hawks Head Coach Mike Budenholzer(On the game)“They are so hard to guard. They spread you out. They shoot and make so many three’s. They were 8-15 at halftime. Aldridge hit two in the first half and Steve Blake banked one in. Meyers Leonard came off the bench and hit one. You have to scramble and you have to play with great activity and great commitment – flying around – to guard them. Aldridge obviously (had) just an incredible individual performance. We tried to make it difficult on him. He still managed to score 37. It was a great team effort. With Thabo going down and DeMarre already hurt, for Kent Bazemore to come in and play the way he did and play as many minutes as he did (was important). John Jenkins for four minutes, those were an important four minutes. Dennis, in the second half, was good. Mike Scott hit some three’s and changes the momentum there in that first four, five, six minutes (of the fourth quarter). It was a team effort…everybody contributing, everybody being ready, one-to-15. (Portland is) a very, very good team.” (On controlling Portland’s three-point shooting)“I do think our activity and our effort to get them off the three-point line was better (in the second half). Maybe it’s the law of percentages, if they started seven for eight, one of my mentors told me it’s going to balance out in the long run. Hopefully it will come back to us. It was probably a little bit of luck, a lot of work, a lot of effort.” (On playing without Carroll and Sefolosha, and Bazemore stepping up)“It’s weird. We’re very, very fortunate to have three guys on the wing that really take a lot of pride in defending, starting with DeMarre. DeMarre is an incredible individual defender. Thabo’s obviously an elite-level defender. To have Kent as another defender (is important for us). Kent was everywhere tonight. He was on a lot of different people doing a lot of different things. He hit some timely baskets and just did a lot of things. He’s just been growing and coming in the right direction along with the whole group. I’m happy for him. He’s such a hard worker.” Al Horford(On playing without Carroll and Sefolosha defensively)“It’s hard. Thabo and DeMarre are some of our best defenders. We expect a lot out of them. Luckily for us, Kent came in and stepped up big. He was ready. He answered the call.” (On bench players being prepared)“We’re confident in one-to-15 here. Guys really put in the time. Guys work every day. They just don’t get the opportunity because we’re so deep. We have guys who can play. John Jenkins came in in the first half and hit a nice shot, played for us a few minutes. It’s just the way it is with this team.” (On the fourth quarter)“We’re a resilient group. We just kept fighting, got stops when we needed to and really got into a good rhythm offensively.” Mike Scott(On the crowd)“We just fed off the crowd’s energy. They were great again tonight. They just kept pushing us and we came out with the win.” (On keys to the win)“Just keep trying to make it hard for Lillard and Aldridge, two great players. They (Lillard and Aldridge) played good tonight. We just played unselfish on offense and played hard.” (On the bench effort)“Kent stepped up and John came in and played great for us. Each night it’s going to be someone else.”