Post Game Quotes
Jazz 109, Lakers 119
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NEXT: Thursday, April 23 8:30 PM MT
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Jazz Quotes
Jazz Coach Jerry Sloan
on the impact of turnovers in the first three quarters:
“Well one of the things that caused us not to have the opportunity to do that was the number of turnovers we had. I think we gave up 30 points at the end of three quarters. I was told in the first half we had twelve turnovers for twenty points and thirty four turnovers in ball game like this, we came down a stretch and the turnovers broke our back. We had a chance to be in the ball game in the third quarter a couple of times and then we turned the ball over. That’s when you have to have patience and get try to get a good shot so you have a chance to hopefully rebound. We just got too anxious I guess. That’s one of the things we’ve had problems with at times but ordinarily we try to get things lined up and get people where we’d like for them to be and it felt way too anxious to try to go instead of setting things up.”
on things to take away from tonight’s game:
“I think we were a better team playing with them than we were to start with. I think that’s the number one thing you have to take away. I think we’re playing harder and you have to learn how to play hard and then you start making your shots better, you get into a rhythym of playing hard and being able to shoot better which I think we’ve done a little bit better a job of. The first problem is to try to have our size inside. It’s difficult for us if we try. With the people we have right now we just don’t have a lot of length and we’ve gone to a smaller lineup to try to combat that. That’s dangerous to do. If we get everybody playing hard and guys driving to the basket we come off our man instead of letting them drive the ball to the basket, we’ve got to be more aggressive that way. ”
Deron Williams
on the first quarter start by the Lakers:
“They shot lights out. This is a team that tries to blow you away early. We just have to find ways to sustain that; we didn’t let them get 22 like the first game but they still matched their first half total from last game and so on so we just have to do a better job defending and getting stops.”
on how confident the Jazz were on getting over the hump during the 2nd half and cutting the lead to three:
“We were pretty confident; we had a little roll going. We just turned the ball over at the wrong time and it kind of led to a snowball effect. One turnover led to another and they made us pay.”
on Coach Jerry Sloan stating that his team seemed anxious at times down the stretch and how to stop that:
“That’s a little bit of my fault; I’m the point guard on the floor. I have to step up and calm everybody down, make sure we get something every time we get down on the floor so that turnovers don’t happen. We get a little frantic out there and they pick up their defense to get a basket to even the score and it costed us the ball game.”
Carlos Boozer
on whether the Jazz played tough in this game:
“At times we did. At times we played very physical and made them work a little harder for their shots, made them work a little harder with their offense. But we’ve got to do it for 48 minutes.”
on the Jazz’s performance tonight:
“At the end of the day I think we played a lot better in Game 2 than we did in Game 1. We still got down by a lot early but we were able to fight back. We had chances to win it in the fourth quarter. I think we cut it down to a single possession, two possessions. They just made plays.”
on the importance of playing the first half like the Jazz played the second half tonight:
“They do a good job of coming at you early and trying to blow you out early. They are a very efficient team. They run their cuts hard, they make shots and they play good defense. For us, we need to try to combat that, make them work a little harder, hopefully make them miss a couple more shots. They still had 60 points in the first half; we’ve got to cut that down and do a better job ourselves at making some shots.”
Ronnie Brewer
on what they need to do in game 3:
“We have to improve. We have to get better. If we want to win some games that is what we have to do. We got blew up in the first game and same thing in the second game; they got on us early and we fell back. We have to keep on improving and get better and try to win a game.”
on how they are going to limit the amount of turnovers they give up:
“That is tough, especially on the road against a good team, a good defensive team. We have to find a way to lower those for us to have a shot to win a game. They shot a high percentage; you can’t turn the ball over that much and win the game.”
on having confidence going home to Utah:
“I feel like we are going to play a little bit better, we should play a little bit better. But they are a great team. They are going to be ready to play so we have to match their intensity and get some defensive stops.”
Kyle Korver
on looking forward to playing in Salt Lake City:
“Well, it is a combination of a lot of things; we have that Utah air, we have great fans, we have a loud arena and that definitely energizes us. Against this team it doesn’t matter where we are at, we have to play four good quarters. I thought in game one we played two [quarters] and I thought tonight we played three, but we have to play four.”
on the difference between game one and game 2:
“I thought we did the good things the third and fourth quarter in game one and I thought we did it again in the second, third and fourth tonight. But we have to do it for four quarters to win it.”
Matt Harpring
on whether or not there was a match-up issue in tonight’s game:
“Yes, but it is a game of runs. When you are down by 20 it is tough to come back and actually win the game. It is not darts where close counts it is winning the game. So now we are down two and go back to our place and see what we can do. Hopefully we will get these next two on the road and bring it back here.”
on what is expected to change by playing at home:
“Hopefully the energy changes and they are making a lot of shots here at home so hopefully that changes.”
BOXSCORE | GAME RECAP | 2009 PLAYOFF CENTRAL | PLAYOFF TICKETS
Lakers Quotes
Coach Phil Jackson
on tonight’s win:
“As an offensive display, not always great ball handling but a lot of great shooting and scoring out there tonight. We were able to come out of that game and win. That’s a good win. It’s hard to beat a team three times in succession and that was a trial out there for us tonight.”
on the Jazz’s lack of defense and their fourth quarter attempt to outscore the Lakers:
“We tried to cork the lane a little bit but they shot three pointers well. I think it was turnovers more than anything else. There wasn’t a lot of defense for turnovers when you throw the ball away that many times. It just created open opportunities for us.”
on game:
“I think it was my fault. Substitution probably hurt us a little bit in the course of the game and I think that I tried to play too many players at that time in the game to get us going which created a little bit of a hesitancy.”
on bench:
“We had good production from the bench. Lamar had a big game off the bench, I thought Shannon played fine, if we need other guys to step in we get assists like tonight. We have to have a bench that supports the starters. I changed the rotation a bit in the third and fourth quarter. Kobe wanted to stay in so I left him in the game and that shortened our bench this time.”
Kobe Bryant
on whether the team should be concerned with a lack of focus:
“No. It’s Deron Williams being a bad boy. He kept them in the game, kept them in the game. Made plays. He made great reads and he kept them in that game.”
on celebrating the big shots from Shannon Brown and Trevor Ariza with them:
“First of all, I’m happy for them. Second of all, this is it. This is what you play for. It’s important for them to believe, to know, that I trust in them. And I’m excited for them when they knock down those shots and I’m going to keep coming to them.
on going into Utah:
“We’ll have to step our game up. We’re a good road team. So we look forward to the challenge of going up there and seeing how we do.”
on the Lakers’ mindset in regard to the series:
“We’re not thinking about it being over at all. We’re just thinking about Game 3.”
Pau Gasol
on tonight’s game:
“Well, it was a great start on our part and I think the energy was excellent. We were playing really well, making shots and coming up with defensive stops. It was the right start. We needed that start to get ourselves going and make sure we got a nice early lead so we could avoid trouble down the stretch. But still, we had to fight all the way down the end of the game and really earn the game.”
on whether he was surprised to see Utah make the game so close:
“Games are, at this level, could go either way. Obviously it was a little bit surprising, I guess, to see them that close, so close to the end. But they have a good quality team. They played well. They fought all the way through. They never let up.”
on going into Utah:
“I think this is a big challenge for our team to go there and prove ourselves. I think we should be excited about it.”
Andrew Bynum
on Deron Williams performance tonight:
“Yeah he definitely was and we have to figure out a way to stop that. In Utah I think it will be different out there they’ll get will be even more calls than they did tonight they are at home court. And the team is going to be hotter just because the crowd is going to be into it for them.”
on locking down the defense for upcoming games:
“Most definitely because we are going to have to change what we are doing on defense, because obviously they are reading it and picking it apart.”
on keeping a hold of the lead:
“We are getting out there and starting great, and then they come back slowly but surely. So we are going to have to change that.”
Trevor Ariza
on how to slow down Deron Williams:
“Try to get the ball out of his hands much as possible, and make other people make plays.”
on holding onto the lead:
“I don’t think we gave it up to them. We didn’t give up any leads, they cut into it but we didn’t give it up so you can’t say we gave up the lead.”
on playing in Utah:
“It is a tough place to play; I think they play more physical at home. And their fans are some good fans over there.”
Lamar Odom
on playing in Utah:
“It’s a tough place to play up there you think the y fought hard tonight and Thursday, they’ll fight even harder.”
on playing in Utah:
“We could do a better job at defensive rebound hopefully up there we will.”
“We are confident not cocky, we respect them. And we are looking forward to a home court game.”
on what Utah could do to adjust:
“I wouldn’t tell them even if I knew the answer right, I wouldn’t tell them. But of course they are will coached disciplined and they will make adjustments.”
BOXSCORE | GAME RECAP | 2009 PLAYOFF CENTRAL | PLAYOFF TICKETS
