PISTONS HEAD COACH STAN VAN GUNDY
ON THE TEAM’S PLAY IN THE THIRD QUARTER:
“We didn’t play well. We made too many defensive game-plan mistakes where we weren’t doing what we were supposed to be doing. We didn’t get back in transition, we didn’t get matched up, and we turned the ball over. When you don’t do those three things against a team like that, you have no chance.”
ON IF MOST OF THE ERRORS WERE UNFORCED:
“I thought they were terrible decisions forcing the ball. We’re dribbling in the middle of the lane on five guys. We draw the second defender and then take it deeper. I thought they were mainly poor decisions.”
ON THE LACK OF DEPTH AT THE WING POSITION:
“We have two right now, I mean two actual wings. We played Marcus (Morris) and Tobias (Harris), so we’re down in numbers right now, you know (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope), Jon (Leuer), Reggie Bullock, (Michael) Gbinije. But that had nothing to do with it. We were good enough to play a lot better than that. We weren’t focused. I wasn’t happy with the way we played.”
ON BOBAN MARJANOVIC’S PLAY:
“He played well in the second quarter, and he played well offensively, but he was another guy who just made too many mistakes when he was in there. We were not focused on what the heck we were supposed to be doing.”
PISTONS GUARD REGGIE JACKSON
ON LOSING KENTAVIOUS CALDWELL-POPE:
“Anytime we lose Pope (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope), it’s a tough loss. He’s a competitor. He structures the floor for us. He’s generally our best guard defender. He’s the aggressor on defense. We ask him to do a lot. That’s my man, so just watching him hurt, bringing the ball up the court was tough. Just hoping for the best, and then to see him have to walk out and walk off the court to the back, that hurt. That hurt the team, that hurt me personally. We’re just hoping the best for him. The medical staff, we trust them to do the best that they can to make sure that he’s OK. Then just getting him back fully recovered, whenever that is. Just make sure that he’s at the best that he can be.”
ON THE THIRD QUARTER:
“Honestly, third quarter was just a lot of turnovers and a lot of miscues. It’s hard to say we did good when they had 37 in the first. We felt like we had done a good job, we even had 31. We just had some late turnovers in the first. Then held them to 23 and thought we competed and played them tough. Transition, they really got after it in transition. We had caused some turnovers and they’re one of the best teams at moving bodies and moving the ball in transition and finding great shots. They were constantly coming at us on 3-on-2’s, 4-on-3’s, 5-on-4’s. Each time they made us pay. Trying to close out to the shooters after protecting the paint is very tough. They just do a great job of playing together. I think that’s where they hurt us in the third.”
ON WHAT CAUSES TURNOVERS:
“They’re a weird team, to be honest. I think, like you said, they do score so much and at the same time they do give up some easy baskets and they allowed you to score with them. Then there’s, you talked about it and I know I also talked to our guys, there’s going to be a stretch where as a team they lock in. Some reason they have about a four to eight minute window that they really lock in defensively. As they continue to score, they find a way to get stops. You have to be able to sustain that run. That’s when they really came out in the third and punched us in the mouth.”
PISTONS FORWARD TOBIAS HARRIS
ON INJURIES:
“It is what it is. That’s the name of the game in the NBA. We’ve had some downs. Obviously, we have a couple of guys out right now, but we expect that whoever’s next into their spot coming in just has to be ready to go. I’ll be ready to contribute.”
ON THE THIRD QUARTER:
“I think our second half was when they really got comfortable. They were able to make a lot of shots. But the first half, I thought we played good offensively. We gave them a lot fast breaks defensively, but it was still pretty close then. In the second half, every mistake we made, they made something out of it.”
ON TURNOVERS:
“You have to give them credit. They got their hands on a lot of basketballs. We were trying to make plays in gaps where there was a lot of guys there. They’re a team, we knew coming in, that pulls in a lot to the middle. We needed more kickouts.”
WARRIORS HEAD COACH STEVE KERR
ON THE THIRD QUARTER TONIGHT:
“The third quarter was great. We knew we had to pick up our defense. The first half we weren’t making that much of an impact at that end of the floor. We were kind of trading baskets. Third quarter was great and then I thought we did a good job of closing the game out.”
ON DRAYMOND GREEN’S NINE-REBOUND, 13-ASSIST NIGHT:
“He’s a very unique player. He’s about 6’5” really. I don’t know what we list him at, but somehow he’s guarding seven-footers and dominating games in a lot of different ways. His passing ability is so important for us, but it’s his defensive versatility that really makes us go. It’s great when you can have a guy, on a night like tonight, can go 0-for-4, but makes a huge impact on the game. We need players like that especially with our team and the skill that we have. You have to have guys who kind of keep it together and that’s what he does.”
ON IF THERE WAS AN NBA PLAYER THAT REMINDED HIM OF DRAYMOND GREEN:
“He’s got a little Dennis Rodman in him. Not as crazy as Dennis. He’s a great rebounder and he’s got a good feel, Dennis always had a great feel for the game. That was an underrated aspect of his game. He wasn’t nearly as crazy as he made himself out to be. The competitive desire is very similar. What made Dennis who he was, was his competiveness. He just got after it. He wanted to get under people’s skin. Draymond’s got some of that in him. He wants to dominate the game emotionally. It’s a great trait to have. You have to have guys like that. Just competitive freaks. Guys that want to win desperately and that’s Draymond.”
ON IF HE THOUGHT KLAY THOMPSON’S DAY OFF SERVED HIM WELL TONIGHT:
“I thought it was helpful. I thought he had a good game. He was moving well and he shot the ball well. He probably played a few more minutes than I wanted him to, but I thought Klay had a good night.”
ON IF IT’S MORE IMPORTANT TO PLAY WELL OR TO WIN MONDAY NIGHT:
“I’d like to do both and that’s the obvious answer. We always try and focus on the process and keep getting better. That’s all it’s about. Continuing on with the work in progress. We made a good step tonight and hopefully we’ll play well.”
ON THEIR THREE-POINT DEFENSE:
“We emphasize it. I think a lot of it is our personnel. We have a lot of long-limbed, long-armed guys who can get out and challenge shots and bother people. It’s been a hallmark of ours the last couple of years. The way the game is played these days it’s really important to be able to guard the three-point line. We’ve been good at it and all you have to do is look at all the best teams in the league; they all shoot the three well. It’s something that we have to continue to do.”
ON DRAYMOND GREEN PLAYING MORE WITH THE SECOND UNIT:
“I think that group to start the second and the fourth with Draymond, there is not as much scoring on the floor, but we kind of have an extra gear defensively that I like. I think it’s been good to explore Steph (Curry) and KD (Kevin Durant) playing together a little bit more in the first and the third. They play together quite a bit, but to play them when Draymond is on the bench gives the offense a different look. It’s just something we are kind of experimenting with. I think so far it’s gone pretty well.”
WARRIORS FORWARD DRAYMOND GREEN
ON THREE DAYS’ REST:
“I’m very excited about that. I don’t remember the last time we had that so I’m not mad at all. I don’t think there will be any rust built over the course of three days. If so, who cares? I’ll take my three days.”
ON BEING COMPARED TO DENNIS RODMAN:
“It’s an honor to be compared to someone like Dennis Rodman. He’s a Hall of Famer, his jersey is retired in Detroit and if I’m not mistaken it’s retired in Chicago. I can only hope those things happen in my career. Obviously continue to work and try to reach some of those things. The championships he’s won, those are things you want to do so to be compared to him, I like that. It’s an honor because neither one of us were outstanding scorers, it’s all about our will and determination and never say die attitude. I’m honored to be compared to someone like that.”
ON THE WARRIORS’ THREE-POINT DEFENSE:
“One thing we preach, especially around is taking a three-point shot away. So when you’ve got guys, I think it’s also when you’ve got two guys handling the pick-and-roll like Zaza (Pachulia) does a great job at handling whatever guard, it allows you to stay along with shooters. I think we’ve been doing a pretty good job at that so there are a lot of things that go into that. We’re really using our close outs if we’re late and most importantly contest those shots. Even if you don’t think you can get there you still try to go contest the shot. You may throw the guy off a little bit and force the miss but that’s always our attitude. Just contest every shot and make that shot a little bit tougher than it would be wide open.”
WARRIORS GUARD KLAY THOMPSON
ON HOW HE FELT AFTER HAVING THE PREVIOUS GAME OFF:
“I did and it felt great to be out there. It was an unfamiliar feeling a couple nights ago but I felt great and I think we looked really good tonight. We had 39 assists to 19 turnovers that was a great effort by everyone.”
ON IF BEING FOUR PERCENT LOWER IN 3-POINT SHOOTING AS A TEAM COMPARED TO LAST SEASON IS NOTICEABLE:
“Not really. It’s probably going to come up anyway, we’ve just got to get hot for a couple of games. Thirty-eight percent as a team is still really good, but it can be better and we will be better. I know it’s going to get better if we keep taking really good shots and that’s what we did tonight.”
ON HOW HE FELT WATCHING THE LAST GAME FROM THE LOCKER ROOM:
“I hung out with the video interns and we watched the game together. It was a good time. I had some Gatorade, water and Body Armor to stay hydrated to prepare for Thursday.”
WARRIORS FORWARD KEVIN DURANT
ON FINISHING GAMES BETTER:
“We have to be patient with it. I know the talk around us is we have this super team and we have 12 superstars on one team. I hear that all the time, but this is an adjustment. This is a team sport. Everything has to be working and moving as one. Five guys on the floor working as one, so it’s going to take some time. We’re still learning each other. Coach is still learning rotations and sets he wants to run. It’s just like when you have options like we do, it’s like you can pick from so much. You’re still figuring it out. We’re still figuring it out as players as well, but 34-6, I’ll take that. I’ll take that, you know what I mean. We struggled a couple of games in the fourth quarter, but for the most part when you look at the whole season so far, we’ve been playing solid.”
ON PLAYING ON THE COURT MORE WITH STEPHEN CURRY:
“We’re experimenting. I guess if it goes well, we’ll stick with it. It’s all triggered by Steph being aggressive. He had eight turnovers tonight, but it’s like you can kind of live with those as crazy as it sounds because he has the ball in his hands. He’s being aggressive, being himself. Coming down and pulling up from 30 feet. Shooting off the pick-and-roll. Shooting shots that we want him to shoot. Just opening it up for everybody else. It starts with him. Me, I can figure it out. My teammates will set screens for me. Zaza (Pachulia) set some great screens. Draymond (Green), Klay (Thompson) and Steph were making some great passes, among the rest of the guys, for me. Everybody, D. (David) West, making it easier for everybody out there. We’re just moving and making a great pass. After that it’s on me, if I get the ball, to trust my work and finish the shot.”
ON THE THREE-DAY BREAK:
“I’m more excited about having an off day tomorrow. January is like you’re in the basement of the season, almost. You’re grinding it out. Every other day is a game. Weather is not as good as you want it to be. It’s not like how it is at the beginning of the season or the end of the year. It’s practicing every other day. It’s kind of weird. The middle of January is always the toughest part for me, so to have a couple of days off is kind of cool. We’re looking forward to having some good practices and play another game on our home floor.”
WARRIORS GUARD STEPHEN CURRY
ON PLAYING MORE WITH KEVIN DURANT:
“It’s just a different look that we can try to continue to keep pressuring teams’ defenses in pretty important part of games. When you can secure momentum going into the fourth quarter and just continue to be aggressive and options all the way around the floor. Coach said he’s been experimenting and we’re going to continue to experiment with lineups. It’s been good to change it up and see what we have with that group and finish out the third quarter.”
ON HIS SHOOTING PERCENTAGE FROM THREE:
“I don’t know how many we’re shooting compared to last year, but we’re getting pretty good looks constantly throughout games. As long as we can do that, I’m fairly confident we’ll knock down a good amount of them and use that as a strength of ours. Maybe I need to make a couple of more.”