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Postgame Quotes - January 15, 2017

Pistons Head Coach Stan Van Gundy

 

(On the win)

 

“It was huge. Obviously, we really needed it coming off three losses in a row and the whole thing. It was a big one to get.”

 

(On playing in front of Pistons owner, Tom Gores)

 

“I think it’s big. We know, every one of us in this organization, staff, people on the business side, players, we know we’ve got a great, great owner and we haven’t delivered a win here since he’s owned the team, to either team [Lakers and Clippers]. So it was huge today to finally get one in here. That feels as good as breaking the losing streak.”

 

(On the final play)

 

“That last shot wasn’t lucky. We got down to the end, but he got a good, on-balanced shot. He didn’t throw it up. I thought we had a lot of good shots in the fourth quarter and just couldn’t get them in the basket, but we fought hard. I thought our effort was really good. We fouled too much, especially on three pointers. I think four or five times counting the four-point play. I thought our effort part of it was much better, so that was a step forward. It was good to get the win.”

 

(On the bench)

 

“If you look at the bench, that’s how we won the game. Just look at the plus-minus numbers. We were plus-10 with Aron [Baynes], we were plus-17 with Stanley [Johnson], we were plus-17 with Ish [Smith]. That’s where we won the game was with those guys and that’s against one of the most productive benches in the league with the Lakers. Tremendous performance by those three guys that we brought off the bench, and by everybody, but those three guys really turned the game.”

 

(On playing Aron Baynes ahead of Boban Marjanovic)

 

“After watching film yesterday, I’m not upset with Boban at all, but I just wanted to get in the game, of the guys we had available, I wanted to play with the guys I thought were our best defensive guys. I think Baynes is still ahead of Boban defensively and so that’s why we went that way.”

Pistons F Tobias Harris

 

(On tonight’s win)

 

“It was a huge win for us, just because we’ve had some tough games that we feel like we’ve underachieved in. On top of that, it’s a good win to just get something going and get some steam going into home as we go into winning some more games and putting  it together.”

 

(On defense)

 

“We just got a little bit more aggressive in our defense. We still had some fouls that we could’ve limited that got them to the free throw line, but we had an approach going to the defensive end [by] getting stops and trying to feel it from there. We didn’t make as many shots as we wanted to either, but at the same time, it was good to see all of us out there getting stops, and focusing on that end.”

 

(On the success in the fourth quarter)

 

“Just really having focus and getting those stops, getting those stops on the defensive end, being smart and not giving them any easy ones, [and] getting them to the line. Getting stops on the offensive and trying to get the easy basket.”

 

Pistons G Reggie Jackson

 

(On winning on the road)

 

“I’m feeling good about getting the win. I think we will be a little more light on this plane ride back home. [I’m] happy to end this trip with a win and defend our home court.”

 

(On winning in the final minutes)

 

“It felt good. I tried to hit Dre [Andre Drummond] in the later role, we got a hand on it, Dre made a quick decision, and tipped the ball to the open guy he saw. I wasn’t sure if Tobias [Harris] was conscious of what was on the clock, but when he raised up I was happy we were making the shot. Watching the flight of the ball, it felt like it had a chance to go in. Once it went in, [I was] ecstatic that we were forward with twenty seconds left. It’s just about getting stops and closing out the game.”

 

 

 

 

 

(On defense in the second half)

 

“Just the one-two. One-two and being consistent, being mindful of what’s going on, and whose rolling and who we want to give the ball to, and the capabilities of each player on the court. We all fell in line, and even in times when we had breakdowns, we were doing our best to communicate and trying to protect each other. It helped us find ways to get stops, whether it be turnovers or just missed shots, and I think we did a great job securing rebounds.”

Lakers Head Coach Luke Walton

 

(On getting where they want to be as a team)

 

“We all know we got a young team here. Down the stretch we are playing teenagers, twenty year olds, twenty-one year olds and this is a grown man’s league. Are we good enough to win, absolutely we are but it takes making mistakes. There is no formula that tells you this is exactly what happens. Different people get it at different times, some people never get it and some people get it right away. I’m very confident that as a group we are going to get it and our young guys are going to figure it out and because of this type of feeling and going through this as a group. I think they are going to be a very tough team in the future but we don’t know when we are finally going to get over that hump and stay over. We have gotten over it and then we take a step or two back and that’s pretty normal with young teams in the NBA but it can be frustrating at times when you see the same type of thing happening multiple times.”

 

(On D’Angelo Russell)

 

“He was good, he was getting to the rim and he was causing all sorts of havoc on their defense. Five turnovers are too many but I thought he was good, I thought he played aggressive. He was out there playing hard on both ends. We would like him to make some of those three point shots but some of them were good looks that rimmed out and we need him to continue to take those and continue to take those with confidence.”

 

(On different groups finishing games)

 

“I would hope that it would motivate them with the idea of look, none of this is guaranteed. Whoever is bringing it, playing hard and playing the way we want to play is going to be in at the end of the game. Sometimes we will go back to other people to give them opportunities. Say Julius (Randle) is having a bad game, we will go back to Julius (Randle) because we need him to experience what it’s like in the final three minutes and be able to get that in game experience or not. For the most part if a group is rolling, we are going to let them roll.”

 

(On Brandon Ingram)

 

“We love that he can guard multiple positions, rebound in the paint with people down there and we can play him on point guards. It is good for him to go to the free throw line even though he went one for three when he got fouled on that three (pointer). It is good for him to go through that, I think it motivates players that want to be great and I think Brandon (Ingram) wants to be great. Even though it can hurt here or there, I think in the big picture and long run it only makes him and makes us a better team.”

Lakers F Julius Randle

 

(On what caused them to lose)

 

“I can’t really remember to be honest. It is a little bit of a blur. The last play I remember, we did a pretty good job defensively and they swung it to the corner and he made that tough, desperation three. That hurt us a little bit.”

 

(On multiple lucky shots made by the Pistons)

 

“I’m not going to make that excuse. I think we didn’t play a whole 48 minutes locked in. I think that’s why it came back and bit us in the end.”

 

(On low energy in the second quarter)

 

“We just were not locked in for a full 48. We stopped moving the ball. Defense wasn’t in tight shell. It ended up hurting us.”

 

Lakers G D’Angelo Russell

 

(On what changed in the second quarter)

 

“We didn’t bring it as a team. They made more shots than us, it wasn’t a defensive game for either team, and neither team really played well on defense. But, we didn’t bring it.”

(On lack of scoring late in the game)

 

“I just thought I saw other guys open, I usually try and take what the defense gives me and adjust at the moment. I guess they tried to play a different coverage and it left guys open but we didn’t take advantage of it.”

 

(On his efficiency)

 

“I feel like we can’t worry about it. If it’s anybody’s night we can’t worry about it, if they’re rolling just keep doing your job, that’s for anybody. If Nick [Young] is going than I’m not worried, if I’m going than nobody else should be worried. But we didn’t bring it as a team.”

 

(On bad breaks)

 

“Like I said, they made some tough shots. We let teams stick around like that it can go anybody’s way, and it went their way.”

 

Lakers F Brandon Ingram

 

(On what changed after a hot start)

 

“We didn’t come with the same intensity we had in the first half. I think defensively in the third quarter we held them to 16 but the offense just wasn’t clicking and they got the best of us.”

 

(On turnovers)

 

“The ball is sticking to our hands a little bit we aren’t sharing the ball. Of course it’s something we can get rid of, but just try and get back to playing fun basketball, we did it in the first half.”

 

(On losing a late lead)

 

“They upped their defensive intensity of course and they got everything going offensively. They definitely took the momentum after that bad second quarter and took over the game.”

 

Lakers C Ivica Zubac

 

(On his screen roll)

 

“It’s coming better. I am improving in that a lot. I am working on that in the D-League. So when I get here, when I get the chance to play it feels better. The D-League helps me to improve.”

 

(On how he is feeling after a busy weekend)

 

“I am a little bit tired but I prepared for this. I’m going to get through this. I was prepared and just waiting for my chance.”

 

Lakers F/G Nick Young

 

(On what hurt the team tonight)

 

“We need to stop being down when things aren’t going right. Teams feed off of that. We have to work on that. It is a little bad habit.

 

(On the other teams multiple buzzer beater shots)

 

“It’s tough. Some of those shouldn’t even matter. It should have just been a buzzer beater. We should have been up by that time. That is what happens. When the momentum shifts, things happen.”

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