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Boylan

“The Celtics are a very good defensive team as they showed tonight. One of the things you need to do against them is make your open shots. We struggled in that area tonight. You know we had some looks but they didn’t go down for us. We were fatigued and they beat us up on the glass. We just didn’t seem to have an answer for them. In the second half we tried to muster it up but could never get anything going. The shooting percentage we shot which was below 30% against the Celtics will be a hard night for you. We dug ourselves a hole with poor shooting and couldn’t seem to get out of it.”

On what do the Celtics seem to specialize in defensively:
“Constant ball pressure, and their weak side defense is very active; they have some bigs around the basket that can really intimidate and affect the shot.”

On the effort of Noah:
“That’s his routine every day, he plays with a lot of energy in practice and shoot around and games; he is ready to go. He has got a bright future, with natural skills. Just add some experience to it, I think he will be a great player for a long time.”

Hughes

On Boston’s16 foul shots in the last few minutes:
“It was real frustrating. Against a team like that you have to play physical and honestly have to have less fouls called and be aggressive on both ends. We definitely gave them buckets without the clock moving.”

“We didn’t shoot the ball well. Out of our 85 or so shots, probably 60 or more of those shots were jump shots and we need to cut that number down. We need to get to the basket and draw some fouls, and that makes the jump shots easier.”

“If we get into the eighth spot, it’s going to be fun. But we’ll deal with that when we get there. We’ll be happy. But we have to win some games and we can’t rely coming into the last week of the season on teams losing, and the numbers working out in our favor.”

Gooden

On the technical fouls and the ejection:
“I didn’t think I was too verbal out there but he made his decision, and bygones be bygones.”

Has he ever seen 16 free throws in the last three minutes?
“I don’t really want to get too much into officiating, I think you guys saw what I saw out there, you guys were probably watching this game closer than I was watching this game through out the years. I think it was a little awkward tonight, but you know, at the end of the day we can’t rely on the refs.”

“We just need to get in a good rhythm. It’s tough. This is a tough game tonight, whether we are playing well or playing terrible against a team that already clinched a playoff spot, the number one in the East, and we got them on a back to back at their place. This is a tough game for anybody.”

Rivers

“I don’t have a lot to say. I mean, we caught a team clearly that was tired and we played with great energy. That’s a good combination for us. The offensive ball movement in the first half and then the third quarter was as good as you’re going to see. And defensively was just solid. So I was just happy. Good win. Good win for us.”

On free throws:
“Well, we missed a lot but we got there a lot. We shot the ball well from the free throw line. We got 43 free throws. I didn’t like the fact in the second half we gave them – I think, what did they have, nine at halftime if I’m not mistaken? – and they end up with 38 free throws. So I didn’t like that. Transition ‘D’ in that one stretch was not very good. Other than that, not a lot to complain about. I just thought we played with a purpose. Got a lead, got guys some rest, and that was good.”

On P.J. Brown:
“I thought he was great. You could see, you know, bobbling the ball was part, basically all of saying you’re going at NBA speed. And it’s a whole different speed than those YMCA pickup games. So you could see that but you could also see some of the things he can do already, which was nice.”

On Sam Cassell’s personality on the bench:
“I didn’t even notice him on the bench, if you want me to be honest. So I don’t know. I don’t ever look down there. I don’t ever go in the jungle. I stay there where it’s safe with all the coaches… Well, he’s loud. Between him, Eddie (House) and KG (Garnett), if you had all three of them on the bench at the same time it would be extremely loud. But he’s loud, good. I mean, again, I don’t think it’s ever bad adding a guy with energy on your basketball team. He has energy, just life energy, if you know what I’m saying. I always thought that was good.”

On resting guys:
“Well, it’s important. Kevin, we’ve done that all year. He’s been at the 35 mark. I’m not concerned by him. We need Tony (Allen) – we’ve got to get Tony playing better – because that’s the only way we’re going to get Ray and Paul rest. So it’s very important.”

Pierce

On P.J. Brown’s game:
“I thought he did pretty good, I mean he was active, got a couple rebounds. It’s going to take him some time just to get a little rhythm out there. When he came to the bench I asked him how he felt and he was a little tired, that first wind it always gets you. I tell him it doesn’t matter what you do before that when you step on the basketball court unless you been playing, that first couple trips downcourt you are going to be really tired and he definitely felt it. But the more and more we can get him in there and get him some repetitions and I think he will be fine."

On getting some rest in the fourth quarter:
“I think its great back to back especially this late in the season you get weary legs. I think lately Doc has been doing a great job with our minutes. Me playing 24, Kevin playing about the same going into Memphis who can be a scary team when they have so much young talent and a team you never want to take for granted. Its good to get this rest especially with a long flight, probably going to get in at 3 o’clock so I am glad we handled business tonight.”

On challenges for tomorrow night:
“Just a late night. This is tough one; there’s nothing worse than having a TV game and then back-to-back. The game just being on TV adds a half hour. And then it starts at 8:00. Then you’ve got to travel. So, you know, hell it’s what we got to do. It’s the price you pay for being a better basketball team. Last year we didn’t have these type of problems. It’s good to have.”

Garnett

On Sam on bench:
I think the addition to our team of he and P.J. are going to be very big for us. Not just basketball aspects but what they bring as far as the experience in older guys, more poised guys, two of the most poise people I know. I think it’s going to be a fit not only for me, Paul, and Ray but for everybody on our team. So tonight it was good to see him over there, I hit him with the… reunited and it feels so good! Other than that it was good to see him over there. Good to see him, good to have him on the squad I am glad he is here.”

On team defense:
“I think the roles are defined, I think guys know night in night out, the rotation is starting to be defined a little bit. Its no secret to what we do night in night out, we know we have to help each other. We always say talk is big, when Paul does the huddle before the game he always reminds us that defense is what is going to win it, then he reminds again before we hit the floor. Its something that obviously we know and have confidence doing well, 9 out of 10 times it is just all about going out and doing it. As of late we have been in more of a defensive mode more than anything, offensive stuff is just a flow. But defensively, we haven’t shot the ball well and have won games because of our defense.”

“I don’t even know our record, we don’t even talk about it. I think Doc said before pregame today that he didn’t know our record and I felt a little better because I didn’t know it. Up until last night seeing it come across the screen I didn’t we had clinched the playoff berth. I think our mindset from day one has been take one game at a time, never look past today and that’s what we have been doing. We have been focused on game by game, preparing for each game and I think its worked up until this point and we will continue to do it that way.”

Perkins

On getting a satisfying win and not letting down after the emotional Detroit win:
“Yeah it is. I think we came out with a lot of energy and a lot of focus, kept the intensity up. Came out playing team ball, came out and got the win. That was the only thing I could ask for.”

Was it frustrating to see Chicago getting to the line a lot?
“I just thought we was the aggressor tonight. We were being more aggressive. We hit first, rebounded, and our defense was on point.”

On if Chicago was getting less aggressive afraid of whistles:
“It usually goes with whoever instigate. Whoever is the most physical is going to get the calls. So I think we came out tonight and attacked first.”

On having the killer instinct to keep teams from coming back:
“We just try to close out quarters and focus on what we doing, and just remembering what got us the lead and building on it.”

Brown

On what a luxury it is going into a back-to-back to be able to rest starters in game one:
“That was huge. Guys have logged a lot of minutes, so for guys to get that rest hopefully it will mean a lot to us tomorrow night. We know Memphis is a young team that likes to get up and down the court. I thought our starting group went out there and did what hey had to do, our bench came in and did a great job of continuing that dominance. Hopefully that will pay off for us tomorrow night.”

On what if was like to get a standing ovation from the bench when you were at the line during the three-point play:
“It just shows you the character of our team. The other day somebody asked me how I feel to be here. I said I had only been here a week, but I already felt like part of the family. I feel like I have been here all year. They have really embraced me, and it’s really special for those guys to stand behind me. I really appreciate it.”

On how it felt getting standing ovation before even touching the ball:
“That was a little nervous, I felt like a rookie again. For everyone to embrace me like that it meant a lot. I just want to try to go out and play hard, and hopefully I can continue to do that as the season goes along.”

On having butterflies coming into the game:
“Yeah, they were huge. They were everywhere inside my body, but I feel like that was the final step, the final chapter in this whole process to get out on the floor, and get some quality NBA game minutes. I feel a little bit better, but I still got a ways to go.”

On KG’s dancing during the ‘Gino’ timeout:
“He was making jokes at me, telling me I was one of those guys up there on the ABC Bandstand. But I told him that guy looked more like him. The guy with the big afro and all that, that’s just something we’ll be dealing with the rest of the year I think.”