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Postgame Quotes - March 19, 2017

DETROIT PISTONS HEAD COACH STAN VAN GUNDY: (On defense): “I thought our defense was pretty good. The first four minutes of the game were not good, and the first four minutes of the second half were not good on the boards. They weren’t making their first shots, but they were pounding us on the boards. Other than that, I thought the other 40 minutes of the game we defended really well and kept us in the game. In the first half and first part of the third quarter, I thought we were really tight offensively. Guys wouldn’t shoot open shots, we were trying to drive the ball into traffic, and draw fouls and stuff when we had people open. I thought we just didn’t play our game. I thought (Kentavious Caldwell-) Pope hit a couple shots and got us going a little bit. Then, I thought everybody loosened up a little bit and played. It ended well the last 16-18 minutes of the game.”

 

(On Aron Baynes): “If you look over the last month, he’s been really good. His numbers weren’t great earlier in the year, but we still played really well with him on the floor. His numbers were not astounding, but the last month the guy has been terrific. Seventeen rebounds in 17:53, and Andre (Drummond) had 18 rebounds. Those guys did a really good job. Our center spot got 31 points and 35 rebounds. It’s hard to argue with that kind of production.”  

 

DETROIT PISTONS GUARD KENTAVIOUS CALDWELL-POPE: (On playing a short-handed Phoenix team): “No matter who they put out there, it was a game we needed.  We needed a win, so we came out and played hard and got the win.”

 

(On offense):  “We tried to force a lot of things.  We had wide open shots and decided to drive the ball, but towards the end of the game, we started taking our open shots and started moving the ball.”

DETROIT PISTONS FORWARD MARCUS MORRIS: (On getting out of shooting slump): “Just watching a lot of film, I thought I was moving too fast for myself.  I am not really a fast player, so I just wanted to move the ball a little bit, get into the flow and take good shots.”

 

(On Aron Baynes): “(Aron Baynes) brings us a lot of energy and toughness.  He stays on the offensive glass.  He is our best screener.  He is a professional.  He came from San Antonio, so he knows how to play the game.”

 

PHOENIX SUNS COACH EARL WATSON: (On running out of steam at the end): “First of all, that’s a good team; they’re talented, but with eight players in rotation it’s kind of short obviously, but I thought our guys, they played hard, they did their best. For three quarters, you could tell we hung in there but you could tell in the second half you could see the stamina start to bow off as far as our fast break push and execution.”

 

(On being encouraged by great start): “I’m always encouraged by the way our guys play. Thing about it, they get their heart in and those who can play, they come out, they do their best and that’s all you can ask for.”

 

PHOENIX SUNS GUARD TYLER ULIS: (On running out of gas in fourth): “I think we got a little exhausted during the game but at the same time it’s no excuse. You’ve got to try and finish out that game no matter what the circumstances are. They didn’t care that we had eight players. It’s just something you’ve got to deal with throughout the season. Sometimes guys are banged up and you’ve got to roll with what you’ve got. “

 

(On difficulty playing without Devin Booker and Eric Bledsoe): “Bled (Eric Bledsoe) and (Devin) Booker are both tremendous scorers that can create their shot very easily and with those guys out, it’s different. I wouldn’t say it’s more difficult because we’ve got guys that can make shots and we’ve got a good coaching staff that can design plays to get guys in the right position, but at the same time it’s just a different thing that we’re not particularly used to. I think it’s something that we’re going to have to work on and figure out as we go along and just hope that we can work them out.”

 

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