Detroit: Lawrence Frank | Greg Monroe | Tayshaun Prince | Brandon Knight Minnesota Rick Adelman | Kevin Love | Anthony TolliverPistons Head Coach Lawrence Frank
(On the team's struggle from the free-throw line...): "It was a combination of things, one is you have to give Minnesota credit, they really attacked in the second half, they lived in our paint and were very aggressive with dribble penetration. Their ability to get into the paint led to free-throws or open three's and then for us, we gave up almost 60 points in the second half. You have to win with defense, whether it's at home or on the road, especially on the road. So you have to give Minnesota credit, it's very disappointing."
(On the fourth quarter...): "Of course it's a winnable game, the last three minutes of the second quarter they kind of turned it on, but our guys showed some fortitude to begin the third quarter. We reeled it off, we got back up to double digits, then they go on a 7-0 run to begin the fourth, we had a very hard time keeping them out of the paint. For us, some turnovers and missed free-throws, our inability to get stops, you're not going to win giving up 60 points in a half."
(On Minnesota forward Anthony Tolliver's three point shooting...): "You know, he is a very good three-point shooter. He's made them before at Golden State and here at Minnesota. One he got off of a turnover, the second he got off pulling off a pick and roll and the third off penetration and kick-out. He's a good three-point shooter, that's why when they play Derrick Williams and him together they park him at the three-point line and Williams at the elbow"
(On the last six minutes of the game...): "Same story, we have to find a way to pull it out down the stretch and that's it. We can't keep playing well for 42 minutes and then the last six minutes five the game away. As a team, we have to get better at finishing the game."
(On Minnesota's offensive success in the second half...): "They got into the paint a lot more, too many easy buckets, got to the foul-line a lot more in the second half, and when that happens and you're at home, momentum shifts and you're going to make a run and you have to do the same as any other game, you have to withstand those runs, you have to be the ones that are the aggressor coming down the stretch."
(On Ricky Rubio...): "I'd be the first one to tell you that when I watched him at the Olympics that I thought he was ready. Defensively he has great hands, kind of crafty, I know he's a great passer, but I thought his transition to the NBA would be tough, and I'm pleasantly surprised with how he's been able to respond. I knew he would make good reads off pick-and-rolls because I've seen it before watching in the Olympics, but his ability to score the ball has gotten better and I think he's surprised a lot of people with his ability to score the ball, because everyone already knew he could pass."
(On the frustration of losing the lead late in the game...): "They just went on a run, basically, and they got a lot of momentum coming into the second half. They got stops, and they were able to come down after our turnovers sometimes and convert threes and attack our basket in the paint. I think that lead to us giving up that lead."
(On how to improve upon giving up leads...):"Just concentrating, coming out on the offensive end and executing, just not panicking, doing the same thing we've been doing, and when a team goes on a run, just try to dig in and do our best to sustain how we've been playing the entire game."
(On Defending Prince differently): "They started to go to Tayshaun Prince in the post and we just tried to break up the rhythm and do something different."
(Thoughts about Barea's game): "I thought in the 1st half he was really rusty, he really didn't seem to have a good feel for what he wanted to do. It's going to take him awhile. He's been out not only once but twice, 1st with the hamstring and then with the ankle. He made a couple of big shots at the start of the 4th quarter which gave us a big lift there. Like I said, all 4 guards, we have 4 guys we can really count on and that gives us a real luxury. Luke had a tough night tonight making shots, he had open shots. I'll take those shots every night with him. Again, if he's off a little bit then Wayne steps in and that's the type of team we need to have."
(Defensively the team stepped up): "Our guys have really bought into trying and defend. All they talk about in timeouts is getting stops 'we got to get stops, we got to get in a rhythm, our shots will fall' and that's the type of attitude we have to have. We have to defend, we have to rebound."
(Is this what you thought Rubio would be like?): "I really didn't know what to expect, I knew he had great vision and everything and we saw that in camp. The thing about him that rally makes him good is that he's a competitor. He just competes all the time. He had a tough game at the start and he just kept playing. If you look at his stats across the board, he gets rebounds, he gets his assists, he had 6 steals tonight and 9 points, he just keeps playing and that's something you need. For a young guy to not get down and to let thing affect him, he doesn't let them affect him and he just plays."
(Rubio controlled the pace at the end): "We want the ball in his hands, he makes good decisions. He made 2 great finds to Wayne, the one where Wayne drove for a dunk and the other one he got a wide open three and that's the nice thing about having him on the court. You surround him with shooters, he's going to find the open guy, he's going to see the defense, react and he'll find them."
(On winning the game...): It was ugly but, a wins a win. Doesn't matter how you get it at the end of the day. We're just happy to get on that run, had some good stops and the game went in our favor. Not really much else to say.
(On the Wolves' offense in the second half...): Yea it was a big half. We were a little complacent, shot the ball so poorly in the first half and I think overall we shot 40 percent for the entire game. For us to come out big like that in the second half, showed good character from us, showed good poise and we still didn't knock down too many shots, but we did when we needed to.
(On defensive progress made as a team...): Obviously I think there's going to be bigger tests for us when we're down and need to get stops against top tier teams, but I think a win is a win and they had some guys that were going on the offensive end putting points on the board. But like I said, we got stops, got a couple charges, got a couple steals, got the crowd in our favor and we're happy with the win.
(On the momentum change at the end of the first half...): Little defensive spurts everytime, we got to get the bench going, get the crowd into it and when we do that I think that's when our momentum starts changing. When everyone gets in to it, not just the people on the court, I think when everyone on the bench gets in to it and especially the crowd, it changes our whole mentality and our game really picks up.
(On finding his shot tonight...): It felt good, I just wanted to see one go in. It felt good to see that and attack the basket and see a lot of openings and really just see my shot as it comes.
(On defending Pistons forward, Tayshaun Prince...): He's left handed, so obviously he favors that hand and wants to go to his left. What I tried to do was sit on it a little bit more, he can go right, but I wanted to sit on it a little bit extra. Or make him shoot tough shots over me, instead of trying to get to the rim and all of that other stuff. He's a great player and he still made some shots, but we're able to get through it and get the win.
(On learning as a team tonight...): We're a lot tougher. We're working on continuing to get better, but we're a lot tougher than the way we were playing last year. We're getting tougher by the day. Every game that's our goal is just to get better every game.
(On playing with Rubio's passing style...): Well you know you just always have to be ready. When the ball is in his hand, you just have to be ready to catch it. Even if you're in a position where you don't think that he can get you the ball, you just have to have your hands ready and be prepared for the ball. Like I said, from day 1 I could tell that he was going to be a guy like that. Everybody is starting to get used to it. Not as many balls are hitting people in the face or anything like that as people expected at the beginning. He's doing a great job for us.
(On Adelman's impact on the team compared to last years team...): Accountability is a huge part of it. Last year we didn't have that. We didn't keep each other accountable. I don't feel like there was much around the whole organization. But now if you don't play defense, you're coming out of the game, period. That's how it is and that's how it has to be in order to get something done. Guys have to really concentrate and make sure that they're out there and definitely playing on the defensive end. If you're making shots, that's great but if you're missing shots you can still contribute by playing great defense.