Toronto Raptors vs. Chicago Bulls
Sunday, November 25, 2007 – Air Canada Centre

Recap | Quotes | Notes | Box | Photos | Video: Game Day | Game in 6 | Post Up

Mitchell

SAM MITCHELL

Thoughts on the play of Jamario Moon?
It’s huge. That’s why we have kept our two point guards because we know we need them both. We feel like we have the best combination of point guards in the league and very rarely are both of them going to struggle and a lot of times they both play well. It’s a luxury because it gives us an opportunity to keep constant pressure on teams because they can score the ball a little, they make good decisions and they’re pretty good defenders. That’s why we haven’t entertained the idea of moving either of them.

Thoughts on becoming the winningest coach in franchise history?
It means you had a job for a while. I’m just proud of the way those guys played after a tough loss yesterday.

Bosh

CHRIS BOSH

On Jamario Moon…
He started to play well, we just need a guy who is more protrude, small forward, and I think he fits the criteria for that. He runs the floor, doesn’t try to do too much, then when he started playing, he’s scoring a couple more shots. He’s done a great job, he just needs to continue.

You always need a guy like him. I think he’s going to become a better defender. He’s going to become a better rebounder and I think he’s going to shoot the ball. Once he starts taking guys to the basket I think it’s going to open up a lot more doors for him. So, he needs to continue working to get better.

I think every team in the NBA needs somebody like that because sometimes you’re flat and when you have a guy that’s going to come out and run the floor like that and make big block shots, it’s going to help us out.

On Jose Calderon’s play…
Jose is playing fantastic right now. That’s all I can say. He’s moving the ball, making great shots, he’s just poised to control and we need that. We need a point guard who’s going to pass and distribute, especially when T.J. (Ford) is out.

Does 40 plus minutes put a strain on you?
I am back feeling good. I am very confident right now. I just have to keep it up for the rest of the season.

Calderon

JOSE CALDERON

Thoughts on having 14 assists and one turnover…
I wasn’t thinking of that. I was trying to take care of the ball and make easy passes to my teammates.

Do you prepare differently when you know you are starting?
It’s different because you have to take care of the ball. When you play two games in a row, you know that you are going to play more than 40 minutes. I cannot play like I usually play, you have to relax, make plays to other guys, because the team is going to need you at the end of the game. I enjoy playing a lot of minutes, but how I feel about the team right now is that we need T.J. Ford.

Thoughts on starting…
I don’t have to change my game or anything. My teammates have confidence in me and I know how they want me to play. I try to play for them too. I think it is easier for everybody to play as a team. Sometimes you are going to be making more shots and shooting more, but the real thing is, somebody is going to help you.

Moon

JAMARIO MOON

Do you still think you are catching people off-guard?
I don’t know, I hope I am. I just hope I can continue to come out and keep playing well to help the team get wins.

Was this the most complete game you have had?
I think so, yes and more importantly I did it in a win, so I feel pretty good.

Thoughts on your big play in the fourth quarter and what did you see in front of you?
I saw nobody really, coach (Sam Mitchell) had already pointed it out to me that when I get it (the ball) on the wing, no one is in front of me. He told me, the next time I get it, he wanted me to take it to the basket strong. When I turned, no one was in front of me, so I just went. I don’t know who was there, I just went and jumped.

Skiles

On today being a carbon copy of yesterday…
Yes, I thought in general we played better today than we did yesterday. For the most part we played hard all over the floor. Our defense once again was good. We just couldn’t execute when it was on the line, we couldn’t make shots.

This must be puzzling for you considering the number of big games these guys have been in?
Yes, but that does happen over the course of the season…. Without question, we are in a rut which we’ve got to get through it, there’s not doubt about that. Somebody or some people have to step up and pick us up. I mean that’s what has to happen. I wasn’t disappointed again with the quality of our shots, I thought a couple of offensive rebounds we got, we rushed the shot a couple times when we didn’t need to. We could have made them play defense for another 24 seconds, but other than that our shot selection was OK.

Hinrich

The team played better than they have been, is that something to build upon?
I don’t know, there is no fun in moral victories. I feel like we played better but we lost two games. We are struggling down the stretch again. I do not know exactly where we are right now; we just have to keep going and hopefully start making plays. We’ve been good late in games in the past, but now whenever we were in position to win a ball game we haven’t done it.

Is the team having doubts in the fourth quarter?
I do not know what you would call it. We haven’t made shots down the stretch; I don’t know if we just aren’t confident down the stretch, I don’t know if we do something different down the stretch offensively. The main thing is in the past I feel like we got down to those points in the game and we were going to get stops and it is just something we haven’t been able to do this year which I think just puts that much more pressure on us to finish. In the past years it feels like when we are playing our best, we get every stop we needed.

Did this game help get your offense going?
Yes, I hope so; I have been feeling good shooting the ball. I feel like I’ve been pretty much taking my shot in rhythm and I feel like it’s going in. It’s just one of those things and I feel like most definitely I will be making more shots and helping our team out.

Deng

How did your back feel tonight?
A little tight, and then it got a little loose and then got tight. I was expecting it. I should be able to go (on Tuesday). I am sore right now and it’s probably going to be sore tomorrow but it should be fine.

Last year it seemed like when the game was on the line you came through, and now it seems like you go stretches with nothing going right …
I don’t know what it is. We have to execute better and right now we’re not doing that. I think that we were right there in the game but we just made turnovers and we have to learn to execute better in situations like that.

Is the team having doubts in the fourth quarter?
When you lose games, I think it’s just being familiar with the situation is not there right now. I think we need to learn and that is why you go on a winning streak. If we get a couple wins and get on a winning streak, we’ll know what we need to do in those situations, not that we haven’t been there before but this year so far our fourth quarter hasn’t been really strong finishing the game.