Postgame Quotes - January 12, 2011

Detroit: John Kuester | Greg Monroe
Memphis: Lionel Hollins | Rudy Gay | Zach Randolph

Pistons Head Coach John Kuester
(On the game) “I thought we started off the game good. I like our pace. I like our pace throughout the first half. The only negative about the first half is we can’t waste possessions and we didn't close the first quarter out the way I wanted too. The third period ended up hurting us again. It seems like they were much more aggressive in getting the calls in that third period. Randolph went to the line 17 times and he was very aggressive with the basketball.”

(On Richard Hamilton not playing) “We shortened the rotation and changed the lineup. That was it.”

(On starting five) “I thought they did a nice job. The first quarter they had a nice flow. I thought we had a good pace to the game, but again this is all about getting that W and it’s so important and we got to figure out that third period that we talked about numerous times.”

(On Tayshaun Prince) “That was huge. I've grown accustomed to Tayshaun playing so well and having such a solid season. Don’t judge because he was 3-13 as him for having a bad game. This kid has played great throughout the year. He's been as consistent as anybody.”

(On starting rotation) “When you put Rodney at the two and then all of a sudden depending on match up situations somebody has to be out of that position. We're searching to finds a group that can get the minutes and get the job done. Everyone has gotten a chance this season.”

Pistons Center Greg Monroe

(On four double-doubles) “Definitely got to thank my teammates, just getting a lot of easy buckets out there because of their feeds. Got to thank my teammates for my scoring, just got to work on offense and defense, getting rebounds.”

(On fouls in third quarter) “Got to keep the same focus for 48 minutes. I have lapses sometimes during games, as of a team we have keep the energy and focus throughout the whole game, especially coming out in the second half.”

(On achievement coming in a loss) “I'm not trying to celebrate myself, I'm all about winning. It's all about the team, doesn't matter what I do if we're not winning. If I would've had zero points and zero rebounds and zero assists and get a win than have a double-double and lose. That's what everybody on the team feels and that's what everybody is focused on is winning.”

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Grizzlies Head Coach Lionel Hollins
(On rebounding during the third quarter): “We were getting stops and we just needed to retrieve the ball. That’s always important in the game to get rebounds. We did a good job. We outscored them 38-10, that was huge and we turned the game around into our favor in the second half and we just played with that lead the rest of the game. You know obviously Ben Gordon got hot in the fourth quarter I think he had 19 points in the fourth quarter, which we had to stave that off. We made some big plays. We had one timeout we ran a play and we got Zach (Randolph) a lay-up I mean it was a naked lay-up, we didn’t even have to work for that one and that broke their backs a little bit and then we got a couple stops and made just enough free throws.”

(On patience down the stretch): “Making plays. You can’t turn the ball over. You’ve got to make your free throws and you got to get a couple of stops and we did all of that at different times. Like I said the road is tough and it’s hard winning anywhere in the NBA, it’s especially hard winning on the road and to come in and get one it’s always nice and we just move forward.”

Grizzlies Forward Rudy Gay

(On rebounds in second half) “Z-Bo (Zach Randolph) had a lot to do with that, he had a strong second half. Of course it's a big mismatch out there, he's a load down there, he gets rebounds, he makes it easy for himself, being in a good position to score helps us.”

(On being a big game) "Yea it is, after any loss that next game after is a big game. No matter what everybody says we gotta get on the win streak, the biggest game is always our next one. That game was the biggest game in front of us, of course we've got bigger goals, but we have to go one game at a time.”

(On coming out in the second half) “Yea we started so slow. We had no rhythm. a lot of things weren't going right for us, so coming out the lockerroom we really had to get going. This game could've got out hand. That lets us play the same way, Ben Gordon getting hot like that it would've been a totally different outcome.”

Grizzlies Forward Zach Randolph

(On sense of urgency) “We had a real sense of urgency in the second half, got out in transition and got stops. Then we started playing in transition and every one started to contribute.”

(On lay-up play) “It was a real good play coach drew up. Executed, Marc (Gasol) passed the ball really well, we played good. Everybody chipped in tonight. We gotta come out focused, Rook (Grevis Vasquez) played good, everybody came in and did something.”