Detroit: Lawrence Frank | Khris Middleton
Atlanta: Larry Drew | Al Horford | Kyle Korver
(On Atlanta’s offense): “The two x-factors going into the game were Jeff Teague and Al Horford. Teague, 20 and 12, Horford 23 and 22, seven offensive boards. From a straight stats point, when Horford scores 20 or more they’re 15-2. The lowest scoring quarter that they had was the fourth quarter, which was 26. We gave them 31 points in transition, that’s not the formula to win basketball games. We obviously had a high number of turnovers. Especially when you’re a little bit shorthanded, everyone has to put a little bit more into the game. When teams are getting a number of easy baskets, not only is it easy baskets, the confidence swells. Now it’s easier to make perimeter jump shots. They’re one of the best three-point shooting teams in the league, they share the basketball, all that swells up when you give them the confidence with those easy baskets right at the rack or second-chance opportunities or turnovers that lead to easy baskets. We have to get back and put more into the game in order to get the desired result.”
(On recent playing time): “My confidence is going up. I just wish we could have won these last three games. We need to win some out on the road.”
(On making adjustments as a rookie): “Just being ready and relaxed out there and playing my game.”
(On difference between college and pro): “At this point, no. I’ve been playing against these guys for a couple months now, so I’m kind of used to it.”
(On string of losses): “It’s tough. Everybody wants to win. We dropped three, so now we have to go and try and win three.”
(On game): “This is a game, coming into it, my biggest concern was a mental let down. You play a team that is a little depleted and that is battling injury; the tendency for us is to have a mental let down, but tonight I thought our guys, after getting off to kind of a slow start, picked it up; particularly in the second quarter.”
(On defense): “We got out and ran. Defensively we did some good things. The start of the third quarter we really got it going. The third quarter I thought really set the tone for the rest of the game. I believe we scored 37 that quarter but defensively I thought we were good.”
(On Detroit Pistons): “This Detroit team has always been a team we had a tough time against. (Greg) Monroe was tough down low. (Rodney) Stuckey is as good a two-guard in this league. He is strong. He is aggressive. He gets to the basket to make shots, but I wanted our guys to come in here and not focus as much on Detroit and what they are going through but focus on us and what we needed to do.”
(On win) “Obviously Detroit is a little depleted. In the past we’ve relaxed when that happens, but I think we did a great job of coming out and staying aggressive.”
(On up-tempo play): “We had great ball movement, really getting up and down the floor. I think that when Jeff (Teague) plays this way, we’re tough. Devin (Harris) came in and hit some big threes, and when our guards get it going like that, me and Josh (Smith) fuel off of that and our team elevates.”
(On personal game): “Most importantly we got the win. I could’ve done all of that and I would’ve been (upset) because we lost. But I’m very happy, and yeah it is special; it’s a 20-20 game and I acknowledge it. And I’ve wanted one of those all year and I finally got one, so I’m happy.”
(On offensive flow) “When we run through Al (Horford), it just spaces the floor, first of all. Jeff (Teague) has been playing well too; he’s coming off the pick and roll and you have to worry about him, but then you have to worry about Al because he’s a knockdown 15-to-18 foot jump shooter. So that creates rotations for them, creates spacing for the rest of us, and that’s when we’re playing at our best. Then we have shooters that can knock down some shots, Josh kind of roaming and doing his thing, and that’s kind of who we are.”