Postgame Comments: Minnesota Timberwolves 83, Bulls 67 | 01.30.08

( 18 - 27 )

( 9 - 36 )

Boylan

On the low scoring game:
"We found it really difficult to find any sort of offense out there. You scratch your head sometimes. Our ballhandling was really poor and turnovers hurt us. You play back-to-back games against the same team, there is a certain mental approach to the game, and we didn't bring that to the game tonight."

On defending the Timberwolves:
"I thought in the first half our defense was okay. Our offense, obviously, was terrible throughout the whole game. I think what happened in the second half is we got a little demoralized because we couldn't find any scoring. So then we just got our heads down a little bit and kind of gave into the fatigue and the back-to-back situation."

More on the game:
"Basically, they had two guys that kind of dominated the game, especially in the second half. Jefferson had 19 and eight in the second half and Gomes was solid throughout the whole game. Those two guys, we held them in check last night and we didn't get that done tonight."

On defending Al Jefferson:
"I thought Ben played (Jefferson) well again in the first half, held him pretty well in check. It is a lot of pressure on Ben to shut him down completely. Quite honestly, our help defense was terrible in the second half. If you don't help on a guy like that, he is going to score."

On Minnesota’s run:
"We fell asleep on the perimeter in the second half. It was one of the worst help defensive halves that I have seen in a long, long time with this team. I am really disappointed in the way we performed in the second half. Some guys out there just seemed to shut it off. It is disappointing to see... They stopped playing with energy, they stopped playing with focus, went into their own little worlds, and acting kind of childish at times."

Wallace

"It is what it is, man. I just saw everything going wrong. We didn't execute, we didn't defend like we did last game, and when you don't get those things, it's tough to win games. When you try to execute and don't take care of the basketball, it's tough to win like that."

"It's been too late for us to be playing like this. We're trying to make a playoff run and we can't afford to have games like this. Games like this set you back. Tonight was one of those nights when they came ready to play and we didn't. It's tough, but what are you going to do? We've just got to keep playing and try to make it happen."

On Al Jefferson:
"(Jefferson) had a great game last night. I don't know what everybody was talking about. He had 20 points and 12 rebounds last night. People were talking like he had a bad game. He had 20 and 12. A lot of guys in this league would take that night any night out. Tonight he came out and stepped his game up a little bit more, so he had a great night tonight as well."

Hinrich

"We just didn't make any shots. We tried to make a run and really dig in defensively, and they started getting offensive rebounds and Jefferson got going a little bit. It just wasn't NBA basketball out there offensively."

"Our game plan is never to give up easy baskets and second-chance points. On defense I just don't think we did what we were trying to execute on pick-and-rolls. I just don't think we did a good job all around."

On if he feels the Bulls can still make a run at the postseason:
"It would be nice (to get into playoff contention). It's kind of been a mysterious season so far, having one good game and following it up with a bad one. It's hard to gain any ground when you do that."

Noah

"I think we just didn't shoot the ball well tonight. As a team, I don't think we focused enough on trying to stop Al Jefferson. He got what he wanted and he's a player who demands a lot of attention. It's not on one player to try and guard him. I think everyone needs to focus on trying to stop him. He was definitely the major difference because he dominated the boards and scored the way he does on a consistent basis. Yesterday it was unbelievable that he had 20 points and 10 rebounds and people were saying it was a bad performance. That's just what kind of player he is. He hurt us real bad; and Ryan Gomes, too."

Wittman

"It wasn't pretty. We'll take a pretty win over a pretty defeat any day, or an ugly win over an ugly defeat any day, whatever. We obviously from an offensive standpoint struggled a little bit, but for whatever (reason) our energy and stuff defensively was night and day from last night. It was the main thing we talk about. These games that you play back-to-back, home-and-home against a team are difficult, but we really didn't have to change anything."

"I thought it was mainly our concentration and effort coming out, for whatever reason, was lax last night for one of the first times in a long time. I thought tonight we got back to being in attack mode, even in the first quarter. I told the guys that we just have to stay with it, be patient, keep working the ball. We scored eight points and were down six. So I said it could be a lot worse. That's kind of what it was, we shoot 36 percent and end up winning going away, and that I thought was (because) our defensive effort tonight was just really good."

On pulling away in the second half:
"I thought Michael Doleac really was the guy who got us going. We had played just about everybody on that bench to try and find a spark somewhere in the first half, and Michael came in and hit two big jump shots to kind of relax us a little bit and get us going. But it's good to get back. We weren't real happy with our performance last night, so to bounce back -- even though it wasn't pretty offensively -- I did like our execution from a defensive standpoint."

On the Timberwolves’ line up:
"We went a little bit bigger tonight. I thought last night that hurt us a little bit. I tried to give Ryan more minutes at the small forward instead of the power forward. We went with Craig, Michael Doleac and Antoine a lot. They have a big lineup when they go with Wallace or Noah and Gray. They are big up front and I thought we struggled a little bit with that last night. So I wanted to get Ryan moved over to the small forward more tonight and he responded with a big game."

"That was the whole thing. We talked about that coming in at halftime: Let's take care of the ball, don't worry if the shots are going in or not. We can't turn the ball over when we get them in the open court because we had them kind of frustrated. The one thing you don't want to do is turn the ball over and let them get layups and get themselves going that way. And that was key after the first quarter, to only have seven the last three quarters."

On defending Kirk Hinrich:
"He was playing with more focus, not so much dedicated to him although he had a big game against us and we wanted to get him under control. We gave him different looks. We went from Sebastian and Marko to Corey. I thought Corey did a nice job on him in the second half... I think we gave him too many, just Sebastian last night, and I think he gained confidence as the game went on that he could score over him a little easier... It wasn't so much of we have to take care of Hinrich more than it is that we have to get back to who we've been leading up to last night's game."

Gomes

"Last night we didn't come out with much energy from the beginning, and it showed the whole game. Tonight we got off to a slow start but they didn't come out with much energy either, and we knew we had to make a big push in the second half. The third quarter was big for us."

"We were able to get some defensive stops and keep Kirk Hinrich especially from getting to the middle, and we were able to force them into some turnovers and get some fast break points, push the ball and get some easy baskets."

"I think we've learned how to play with each other more. We know Al is going to get the ball a lot and know we have to figure out the spacing for him to get a good look, and when they do double-team him we need to be in open spots so he can see us, and that's what's been working for us. So we're learning how to play together now."

"I think (Telfair) is learning this offense very well. We're a West Coast team and we fast break a little bit more which he is most effective in... He's shown he can be a playmaker. One of our goals is when we get a defensive rebound to push it up the floor and see if we can get something easy in transition, and he is good in the fast break. Even in the halfcourt he's knocking down shots, coming off the pick-and-roll being aggressive and creating plays."

Telfair

"Our fans are giving us energy right now. They're coming out to see us and rooting us on and we're feeling really comfortable at home... Lucky they got off to a slow start also. I guess we were just moving too fast, maybe just too excited to be back home... It was funny, but the best thing about it was that we were making mistakes, but we were being aggressive and playing hard making mistakes. Not lazy mistakes."

"The fact that we played them last night really helped us come in and face them again with a little different game plan to get the win. We wanted to keep them out of the middle, not give them easy drives, and stay at home on the shooters. We stuck to our game plan tonight and it helped us."

"That shows that we were playing defense. We had eight points in that first quarter, so on a night when you are struggling to score you have to play defense if you're going to have a chance to win... I'm feeling more comfortable, absolutely. Knowing the best thing that I do is use my speed and get guys open, I'm going to stay focused on that."