Detroit: Brian Hill | Greg Monroe | Khris Middleton | Kyle Singler
Utah: Tyrone Corbin | Jeremy Evans | Enes Kanter | Al Jefferson
On the game: “Well we had it to five points and then Mo Williams made two big threes during that stretch. I thought maybe we could have gotten a better contest but we didn’t. The main thing was I told our guys I don’t want to lose and they don’t want to lose but you can walk out of the building feeling a little bit better because of the way we competed tonight. Especially with Jason Maxiell out and losing Brandon [Knight] right at the beginning of the game, being shorthanded I thought our guys did a great job. Greg Monroe playing against two good centers, Al Jefferson is maybe the best scoring center in the league and I thought he gave us a great effort tonight.”
On Brandon Knight’s injury: “The only thing I know is that it is not broke. We will have to get more diagnosis than that, but it appears to be a very severe sprain right now.”
On the game: “Guys definitely played hard tonight, especially being down two starters. I think the guys that stepped in did a great job. We came up short obviously, but the effort was definitely there. It’s tough – (the Jazz) are a good team, especially at home. If we would have made a couple more shots, we could have been in a position to win the game, and if we got a couple more stops. I think they really hurt us on the offensive glass. That might have been the key to the game tonight.”
On dealing with injuries: “It’s two of our starters and two guys that contribute, so to be down two men, it is tough. But like I said, the guys that played and stepped up did a great job and competed.”
On bouncing back from the loss: “We just have to come out and fight every night because you never know what can happen. We just have to move on from it and just play each game like it’s our last. (The Jazz) just knocked down their shots. We got some good looks, but didn’t knock them down.”
On the loss to the Jazz: “(The Jazz) definitely play well here. I thought for the most part we played good for the full game. We could have let down our guard when they made their big lead, but we showed that we wanted to compete and wanted to play. The guys out on the court played well.”
On finishing the season: “We have to show pride. It will be tough to make a push for the playoffs. Every game we have to play, work hard, and try to get better. That’s pretty much all you can ask – just play to win.”
On the game: “It was great. Anytime you’re on the road and you come back that first game back is traditionally a tough game for you, but I thought our guys were really focused. They understood the sense of urgency, regardless of who we are playing or how we have to get better as a team and how we have to perform. I thought for the most part it was pretty good.”
On Mo Williams running the offense: “Well he is getting better, he’s actually getting himself back into game shape. Getting his timing back, guys are starting to read him more. It’s a process man, and as he goes forward I am not disappointed in his effort. I know how badly he wants it. It just takes some time to get your rhythm back and for the guys to read him because we have changed a tremendous amount since he got hurt; the team has grown in different ways. I thought he had some great minutes to close the game and made some big shots for us.”
On coming off the road trip: “It’s a road trip and it’s tough there so just to come home and get a win and be back in front of the fans is great.”
On playing 24 minutes tonight: “Coach always tells me to be ready and you never know when you’re going to get put out there so just come in, do my job, bring energy and I feel like I accomplished that.”
On the bench play: “I feel like it starts at practice just because we work so hard going against the first group and so I feel like that’s where it comes from and I just think it’s great that we come out and bring energy and help those guys out.”
On extending his range: “I’m always in the gym shooting with the guys, going at it every day, I take it as a competition.”
On the game: “I thought we went out and played our best. We needed that game and everybody really played good basketball.”
On the lift the bench gave the team tonight: “Yeah, we have good players and I never had the thought that we they were about to come back on us. Whenever the bench came in we just did a really good job.”
On the game: “It was great especially on a four-game slide, to get it together on our home floor and try to come out with a victory. We’ve got a tough game Wednesday.”
On the play of the bench tonight: “It was great to see Jeremy step up and play good and get his confidence back. We’re going to need him. We’re going to need everybody to step up.”