Spurs assistant coach Mike Budenholzer:
(On facing the Suns under coach Lindsey Hunter…)
“They are playing with good energy and they have had a couple of good wins. It is hard to change a lot real early. There is a lot of what they were doing for most of the year. They have obviously done well the last couple of nights.”
(On the Suns since Steve Nash left…)
“Anytime Steve Nash is not there it is going to be significantly different. I think you try and keep some of it. Every coach tries to tailor what they are doing to their (team’s) talent and their strengths. (Goran) Dragic is a pretty amazing point guard on his own. There was still some of the Steve Nash. Coach Gentry’s a great coach. There was still some tweaks and adjustments.”
(On point guard Goran Dragic…)
“He has confidence. He is at another level. He really looks like he believes in himself. He has control of the team. We feel like he is the key tonight. He is surprisingly athletic in his length and his explosion. He uses some on the defensive end also. He has grown and matured over the years.”
(On the decision to sit Duncan for tonight’s game…)
“It was as much Tim’s call and the medical staff’s call as anybody. It is something that is not serious. Timmy (Duncan) is just making sure he keeps himself healthy. He wants to be available for the long term. He felt it was the best thing to not play tonight.”
(On the benefit of having three days off after tonight’s game for Duncan...)
“It has been a nice window that if he didn’t play tonight that we don’t have to make this decision again for four more days. You put all that rest together and hopefully it is a good thing for him.”